THE NATIONAL Water Com-mission (NWC) said customers in the Kingston Metropolitan Area as well as those in central and western parishes will continue to have regular water lock-offs despite heavy rains last week.
After the rains, NWC public relations manager, Charles Buchanan, told The Gleaner that the Mona reservoir had 72 per cent of its capacity or 2,645 megalitres of water, while the Hermitage Dam had 532 megalitres or 29.8 per cent of its capacity. He said storage levels in rural catchments were below normal levels.
"Water restrictions are still on and they have resulted in the stabilisation of storage levels," Mr. Buchanan said. "We will continue water lock-offs until we are out of this delicate situation."
Among the areas to be affected by the water lock-offs include Old Stony Hill Road, Manor Park, Red Hills Road, upper Constant Spring Road, Shortwood, Norbrook, Acadia, Mannings Hill Road, Cherry Gardens, Whitehall Gardens, Graham Heights, and Fort Charles. Rural parishes to be affected include Westmoreland, St. James, Hanover, Trelawny, St. Elizabeth and Manchester.
Mr. Buchanan said the NWC was still unable to account for 50 per cent of the potable water it produces because of a combination of factors, "the most significant" being leaks.
In the meantime, he said, the NWC has put in place plans to deal with the water shortage. Among them, he said, were preparatory works to remove salt from a plant in Ferry.
, St. Catherine, as well as an $83 million Kingston Metropolitan Area water rehabilitation project launched two weeks ago, and the rehabilitation of several wells island-wide.
