FACING the annual prospect of cutting staff or paying to truck untreated water just to keep their businesses afloat, car wash operators across Kingston and St Andrew say they are once again bracing for a difficult period as stricter restrictions loom.

Several operators told the Jamaica Observer they fear they may be forced to temporarily shutter their operation or find alternatives to clean vehicles if the drought persists, though many remain hopeful that rainfall will ease the situation before the restrictions intensify.

Last week, Water, Environment and Climate Change Minister Matthew Samuda warned that full prohibition orders on the use of potable water are possible by August 10, if weather conditions remain unchanged or worsen.

Samuda made the announcement after the Meteorological Service of Jamaica projected prolonged dry conditions stretching into October this year.

Under a prohibition order issued by the National Water Commission (NWC), the use of treated water for non-essential activities is banned during periods of severe drought. Prohibited activities include watering gardens, lawns and farms; refilling tanks, ponds and swimming pools; and washing vehicles with a hose. Breaches may result in a fine or imprisonment for up to 30 days.

Speaking at a Jamaica Observer Press Club earlier this year, Samuda said efforts are under way to strengthen the country’s water infrastructure, so Jamaica can avoid imposing similar restrictions during future dry spells. However, until then, restrictions will be in place.

David Chambers, manager of an auto spa, said he has worked in the industry for 30 years and is no stranger to water restrictions, describing them as one of the inevitable challenges the business faces whenever drought conditions arise.

He said the business typically copes by purchasing untreated water sourced from rivers. While the additional expense of trucking water significantly increases operating costs, Chambers said the auto spa absorbs the cost rather than passing it on to customers, fearing higher prices could drive away business.

“People have to still eat food, and the workmen have their families to feed, so it’s not a situation where we can just shut down the car wash. We have to find ways and means to operate,” he told the Sunday Observer.

Auto spa Manager David Chambers says people still have to eat, and the workmen have their families to feed, so it’s not a situation where the car washcan just shut down. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

He said that if trucked water is no longer available, he may have no choice but to close his business, a decision he would make with a heavy heart because of its impact on his employees. However, he said he is researching alternatives.

Chambers said he discovered waterless car-washing products that could allow the business to continue operating, but the specialised chemicals would have to be imported and come at a high cost, making the option difficult to sustain.

“Right now we are in a situation where we have to just watch and see what is happening more than anything else… We are praying for some rain because with rain we know that the water situation will go away because the [catchment] areas will have water, so that will be good for us,” said Chambers.

The cry for rain is also being made by Paul Williams, team leader at One Wash, a drive-thru car wash in the Corporate Area. Williams said currently, One Wash has three water drums on the premises which cost about $18,000 to refill. That will allow them to wash up to 20 cars.

“It affects us a lot, so we have to just try to wash off the cars fast. Luckily, the machine we use recycles water. We have a drum on the inside where it recycles, but for the machines that we use to rinse off the cars, we use the drum, and that takes water, so we try not to waste it,” said Williams.

“If it gets worse, we have to close until the water situation gets better. I’m not prepared for that. I have to go home and sit down and have no work. I don’t know how I am going to manage. I hope rain falls so we don’t have any more water restrictions because right now, I don’t have any water at my house. I got up this morning, and no water, and it’s going on two months now,” he told the Sunday Observer.

Williams appealed for improvement in Jamaica’s water resilience to ensure that businesses that rely on the supply do not have to close their doors.

“We need to find a fix. It cannot be that every year we have to lose business,” he argued.

Chenell Allison, a supervisor at Ten-O-Let Car and Carpet Care, said the company is often forced to make staff changes.

Chenell Allison, a supervisor at Ten-O-Let Car and Carpet Care, said the company cuts staff to deal with drought conditions and stay afloat.

“We try to cut where we can, so maybe staff that is on weekly we give them fewer days,” Allison explained.

She added the company also has contractual workers who get paid per car, so it is less burdensome when business is slow and restrictions are in place.

Allison noted that the company currently trucks water to fill two tanks to stay afloat, but it cannot afford to do so for an extended period.

“If our budgeted amount for purchasing is exceeding profits, then we have a problem, but we are not there yet. We are used to it. It hasn’t come to that yet, so hopefully we can get some rain before it does and we have to shut down,” said Allison.

Another car wash operator said he does not believe it would be worth continuing the business if the drought worsens. He said he is prepared to conserve, because he has other businesses that are more profitable and do not require water usage.

He, too, called for measures to protect water-reliant businesses during a drought.

Samuda said the Government has several major projects under way aimed at making Jamaica more resilient during periods of drought. Among them is the Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant, now under construction in Content, St Catherine, which he described as a game-changing investment.

The facility will treat raw water from Rio Cobre and inject 15 million gallons of potable water into the NWC’s distribution network each day, supplying more than 150,000 customers across St Catherine, Kingston and St Andrew. The project remains on track for completion in May 2027.

An employee at a car wash in Kingston uses a bucket of water to wash a vehicle.

He said the Rio Cobre development forms part of a broader national strategy to strengthen Jamaica’s water infrastructure rather than relying on emergency measures whenever drought conditions arise. According to Samuda, investments made since 2015 have significantly improved water efficiency in Kingston, St Andrew and Portmore by reducing leakage across the network from 71 per cent to 37 per cent. As a result, the system now loses approximately 12 million fewer gallons of water per day than it did in 2015.

In addition, work is progressing on the Western Water Resilience Programme, while plans are advancing to construct new treatment plants and expand water catchment systems, including the Hermitage Dam.

Expanding water catchment capacity is one solution that motorist Miguel Brown believes could help Jamaica better withstand future droughts. Brown, who regularly uses a car wash to maintain his vehicle, argued that the island has ample underutilised land that could be used to capture and store rainwater for use during dry periods.

“We have a lot of springs, we have a lot of rivers, we just need somewhere for the water to stay so we don’t have the problem every year,” he reasoned.

He noted that he washes his car twice a month but is willing to cut down to once a month to help conserve.

“All of us know that we have to save in a crisis like this; in the dry season, we have to save. Once everybody has the understanding and sees what is happening — the entire Jamaica should see what is happening in the dry times and we must get used to it by now,” said Brown.

Conrad Malcolm washes his car once per week. He said he is prepared to clean his car himself using recycled water from home or seek out car wash operators who have access to untreated water and are prepared for the drought.

He urged greater investment in water storage facilities, given the increase in the number of households.

“We have more households coming up and each household will use more water. We need to invest in more water facilities. There are rivers; we have the sea; we can treat the water. We can do much better to alleviate the problem rather than every year we are at the same place,” he stressed.