Jamaicans warned to brace for deeper water crisis amid reduced rainfall

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Matthew Samuda is putting the country on alert to brace for challenges in the coming months as Jamaica continues to reel from below-average rainfall. 

Samuda said as at Monday, the Mona Reservoir in St Andrew was at 36.1 per cent or approximately 27 days of storage at normal usage, while at the Hermitage Dam, also in the parish, the level grew to 53.7 per cent following rainfall over that past two weeks. 

Samuda said Jamaica is yet to recover from its below-average rainfall since October last year, indicating that the island's water challenges are set to continue as it suffers “extreme” drought. 

Speaking at a post-Cabinet press briefing Wednesday morning, Samuda disclosed that October, which is Jamaica's peak rainfall period, recorded a deficit of 22 per cent in rainfall. 

“We have not recovered since in terms of our inflows,” said Samuda. 

He said the below-average rainfall continued into November by 38 per cent, December by 53 per cent, January by 66 per cent, and February by 74 per cent. 

Samuda, who has responsibility for water, environment, climate change and the blue and green economies, said there was “marginal recovery” in March but said that the overall inflows that would take place during these periods to facilitate recharge of the National Water Commission and municipal systems did not take place. 

He said that there were improved meteorological results in April and May with deficits of only eight and 23 per cent respectively. 

Rainfall in June, he said, fared better, exceeding normal 30-year rainfall by two per cent.

He said it was the only month to record this, though all parishes did not benefit. 

Samuda said that the western end of Jamaica saw significant increases while the eastern end of the island suffered. 

For July, only 63 per cent of normal rainfall was recorded, signalling a deficit of 37 per cent. 

“As such, we have to manage the resource that we have very carefully,” said Samuda, referring to output. 

“…The Government has acknowledged that there will be challenges in the coming weeks and months. We do hope that we receive our normal October rainfall that would allow us to indeed recharge and give us some space,” Samuda added. 

Government Response 

As a result, he said that the Government has decided to increase its emergency response. 

Samuda said that at least five wells have been activated or reactivated, while two million gallons of water have been pumped into the Rio Cobre conveyance system. 

The minister said some unauthorised connections, which trigger leaks coming in from Yallahs in St Thomas, have also been disconnected and saw the distribution of water via trucking at a cost of over $380 million. 

Storage tanks have also been distributed, he said.  

“But I want to assure residents of the Corporate Area, residents of St Catherine and indeed residents of all of eastern Jamaica, the investments that are underway will transform your water system. This is not a conversation we're expecting to have in two to three years.  

“We expect to build in the resilience that gives us the capacity to deal with our changing weather pattern,” he said, mentioning the US$77-million treatment plant at Content in St Catherine. 

The project has a two-year timeline that should provide in excess of 15 million gallons of water daily across Kingston and St Catherine. 

- Kimone Francis 

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