Growth & Jobs | Jarrett calls for action to address growing water needs

Earl Jarrett, deputy chairman and chief executive officer, The Jamaica National Group, has said that proper planning is needed to meet the country’s water needs, which, he said, have been outpacing demand.

“It is inevitable that without action, the country will not be able to meet its water needs. We must, therefore, find ways to change certain outcomes,” he said, pointing out that the Government has been doing well in wastewater management.

Jarrett made those observations while addressing the JN Foundation’s Water Summit, which was held virtually, May 13 to 14, under the theme ’Water is Life.’

He said that the country’s water resources are under threat from climate change, development, and a growing population. In addition, he pointed out that Jamaica’s water resources also generally cater to the needs of an additional two million persons annually who visit the island as tourists.

Jarrett explained that one of the objectives of the Water Project Jamaica, which is being implemented by the JN Foundation and funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, is to engage citizens to become guardians of water resources by being part of the movement to conserve water.

He said the project’s mandate includes educating the Jamaican population to implement water-conservation methods in their homes, with the use of high-efficiency toilets and faucets, and to purchase efficient washing machines as well as the harvesting of rainwater for domestic use.

The JN Group CEO said the project has also engaged developers to use strategies and techniques in the design and construction of homes that include rainwater harvesting and water-saving faucets.

Citing other successes of the project, Jarrett noted that householders in nine communities in Kingston and St Andrew were engaged through a 12-month pilot study in which their homes were retrofitted with water-saving devices that monitored their usage. He said that the results of the pilot study were astounding. Some householders, he pointed out, achieved a reduction of up to 42 per cent in their water usage following the installation of the water-adaptation devices and the implementation of water-saving measures within their homes.

He noted that a memorandum of understanding was signed earlier this year with the University of Technology, Jamaica to forge a partnership that will train more persons in water adaptation. The partnership will include the development of a course to certify persons for careers in water adaptation and research relating to rainwater harvesting and grey water recycling.

Jarrett commended the JN Foundation for organising the Water Summit, which he said, brought key stakeholders to the table to discuss solutions to the country’s water challenges. The summit was organised by Water Project Jamaica, which is being administered by the JN Foundation.