By Leonardo Blair, Staff Reporter

TOUGH TIMES are ahead for thousands of households across the island as Minister of Water and Housing Donald Buchanan remains uncertain of how soon potable water will be fully available in pipes across the country.

As the nation continues the hunt for water after Hurricane Ivan's ravaging on the weekend, the Water Minister explained at a press conference yesterday that he is in no position to give a timeline for the restoration of the island's water systems as most of them are dependent on electricity. If there is no power, he explained, the systems will remain down .

"Some 1,000 electricity-dependent facilities are being operated by the National Water Commission. Naturally, therefore, our capacity to restore these into operation is largely dependent on the speed with which the JPS restores power," said the Minister.

NWC SYSTEMS READY

"While I cannot say with absolute certainty the exact restoration time for each facility with JPS' power, I want to assure the nation that the NWC's systems are ready to go, subject to the availability."

Among the power-dependent facilities are the Hope filter plant and all systems now being operated by standby power. Some of these systems include those at Mona and Constant Spring, Tulloch Springs, Portmore Augmenta-tion Wells, greater Mandeville, Porus, Roaring River, Bullstrode, Martha Brae, Iterboreale, Grants Level and nearly all systems in St. Elizabeth, Clarendon and St. Ann.

With limitations also hanging on the 71 water trucks currently operating in the ministry's Rapid Response Unit, Minister Buchanan explained that priority will be given to schools and other public institutions.

"I know that when we are in need of water we can be impatient and even irrational. The NWC has done a mammoth task in terms of restoring systems so far. This might be little consolation to those without water, but rest assured, we are prepared to exhaust every possible means of reaching you in short order," he said. He urged Jamaicans to continue to follow precautions from the Ministry of Health in treating all water being used for drinking.

Back to Lead Stories

Go-Jamaica | Jamaica Star | Go-Local Jamaica | Sports Jamaica | Letters to the Editor