MANDEVILLE:
WATER LOCK-OFFS have become a daily occurrence for many residents, in spite of the heavy rains which have been drenching the town since May.
Hardest hit are persons living in Brumalia and West roads and parts of Ward Avenue. The problem of poor water supply from the National Water Commission (NWC) has been an on-going one for the past six years with no end in sight, according to Miss Unia Moncreath, a returning resident.
She said the problem has taken a drastic turn for the worst in the last two months, with no water in the pipes for up to three days, and when it does come, it's only for two to three hours in the early mornings when most persons are asleep.
One developer told The Gleaner that the sustained lack of adequate water supply for Mandeville, and its environs, has served as a major deterrent to the building of apartment complexes in and around the town despite the heavy demand for such units. This, he said, has led to a severe shortage of affordable dwellings which, in turn, creates hardships for the work force which must travel long distances to and from work. He also pointed out that young people were most affected, because they cannot afford the high rent now being charged for the few available apartments.
In 1998, the National Water Commission said that water woes would be a thing of the past, with the installation of new pumps at its Pepper pumping station located at the foot of the Spur Tree Hill. However, shortly after the pump came on stream, the pumping station suffered a setback due to an electrical fault caused by lightening. Since then there has been a steady decline in the supply of water to the town.
Residents of Woodlawn, Ingleside, Hanbury and Caledonia Meadows all suffered similar fate with many resorting to have water trucked in and stored in their newly acquired black plastic drums.
Shana Williams, who lives on Brumalia Road, said she has to travel to her parents house two miles away to have a bath, as she has been without water for the past two weeks. She complained bitterly that the NWC was most "inconsiderate" by locking off the water all-day on Sundays, the day when most persons are home and need a bath to go to church or wash, and has been the case for the past four Sundays.
The residents of these communities are pleading with government and, in particular, the Manchester Parish Council to pressure the NWC to correct the problem which they claim is threatening their health and the town's economy.
In the meantime, a spokeswoman at the NWC Mandeville office told The Gleaner on Friday, that she could not comment on the matter at this time, as she did not "know what is going on," and the persons responsible were in a meeting or out of office.
