John Myers Jr., Staff Reporter
A Jamaica Public Service Company workman effects repairs to electrical wires in Arthur's Rock, rural St. Andrew, on Saturday. - ANDREW SMITH/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
THE NATIONAL Water Commission (NWC) is reporting that between 20,000 and 30,000 of its customers are still without their regular water supply, despite about 90 per cent of its water systems being restored.
The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), on the other hand, said fewer than 6,000 of its customers are still without power. In a statement issued yesterday, the JPS said, "Most of the approximately 100,000 JPS customers affected by power outages as a result of Hurricane Dennis have had their electricity service restored ..."
The light and power company said while its team continued restoration operations in the parishes of St. Thomas, Portland, St. Andrew and St. Mary, progress was being hampered by inaccessibility to some of the affected areas because of blocked roads and extensive damage to its power delivery network.
SEVERE DAMAGE
Charles Buchanan, corporate communications manager of the NWC, said just under 400 of its 460 water systems have been restored. However, he said the Seaview Water Treatment plant, which supplies the communities of Stony Hill, Golden Spring, sections of Jacks Hill and surrounding communities, was severely damaged in two sections by landslides in the Blue Mountains.
"Both pipe breaks are along very steep slopes, inaccessible to heavy equipment and prone to further land slippage," he explained.
He said the restoration of the pipeline, which runs from the Ginger River up in the Blue Mountains, will require the NWC to airlift pipes and other construction equipment to the location. They also have to construct reinforcement pipes.
This is expected to take another seven to 10 days to be completed, Mr. Buchanan said. Water is being trucked to the affected areas.
