A resident of Alley Bridge, Clarendon, catches water from a damaged National Water Commission (NWC) pipeline in this October 2005 Gleaner photo. Residents will now be depending more and more on the NWC as Jamaica's drought drags on.

Jamaica, already in its deepest economic crisis, even while in the clutches of a monstrous crime problem, is now facing an even more threatening crisis, drought.

Water levels in most National Water Commissions (NWC) systems across Jamaica have reached critical stages as the dry spell affecting the island persists.

The NWC has instituted water restriction measures across the corporate area, but even with this, the company's corporate communications manager Charles Buchanan said the position looked grim.

Despite whatever measures might be put in place customers would still be affected by disruptions in usage and normal access to water supply, he explained.

The two main sources, Mona reservoir, with a capacity of 809 million gallons, is only half that amount, while the smaller Hermitage Reservoir, with a capacity of 393 million gallons, measuring just above half.

Critical situation

"At minimum, it can be described as a critical situation and a significant issue of concern," Buchanan told The Gleaner on Wednesday.

But even more worrying, explained Buchanan, was when the country finds itself at the end of its typically wettest season, having water problems and with a projection of no significant increase in rainfall in the next five to six months.

"The projection from the meteorological office is not helpful as it has predicted below normal rainfall for the rest of 2009 and the greater part of 2010 because of an El Nino," Buchanan said.

The primary challenge for the NWC is to have reliable year-round water sources giving adequate, year-round supply. This is not possible.

"Unfortunately, too many (sources) only supply us during part of the year and when there is a drought they are unavailable or they give less than the required amount," Buchanan explained.

The situation across the rest of the island varies by parish or region, but inadequacy reigns.

One big challenge is the smaller systems operated by the parish councils, which because of their sizes, are more prone to drought conditions than a Mona reservoir would be.

special case

But there is a special case in St Elizabeth, considered Jamaica's breadbasket parish.

"There, a big part of the problem is not just the decline in the amount of water to use, but the demand on NWC system grows exponentially - those who would turn to other sources for agriculture and even gardening will now turn to NWC supply," said Buchanan.

During drought periods the NWC often sees a 50 per cent increase in demand on its systems in the parish.

There are an estimated 460 water supply systems across the island and all are believed to have been affected to varying degrees.

Anthony Cornwall, area manger for St Mary and Portland, reported that east Portland, including areas such as Drapers and Manchioneal have been most severely affected. Water has to be trucked repeatedly to the affected areas.

An estimated 50 per cent of Portland and 30 per cent of St Mary residences are affected.

In St Mary, areas such as Gayle, Lucky Hill, Sanside, Highgate, Annotto Bay, among others, are affected. But rain in the last two weeks is helping.

similar picture

Meanwhile, Karen Placken community relations manager for NWC eastern division, which includes Clarendon, St Catherine, St Thomas and Kingston and St Andrew, painted a similar picture.

In Clarendon, water supplies affected include those at Piece River, Low Ground, Crooked River and Patterson Spring.

In St Catherine, Sue River, Guy's Hill, Berry Hill, Gold Mine, Berkshire Hall and Old Mount Diablo treatment plants have been affected with low water supply.

"We have between 40 and 70 per cent reduction in output from these treatment plants because of the dry spell," Placken stated. "Other facilities in St Thomas and Kingston and St Andrew, especially in east rural St Andrew and west rural St Andrew, have also been impacted."

Western Jamaica appears to be less affected than other regions, according to community relations manager for NWC western region, Ann-Marie Ingram.

St Ann is most severely affected with several areas including Higgin Town, Mount Zion, Seville and Cascade experiencing water lock-offs.

"The situation in Trelawny and St James has not been impacting on our production (of potable water), but if the dry spell is prolonged this could change, and the same with Westmoreland and Hanover.

The Mona Reservoir - File