Opposition criticises NWC for halting water reports to KSAMC, wants gov’t to intervene

Opposition Spokesperson on Water, Ian Hayles, says the Government should move to get the National Water Commission (NWC) to reverse its decision to stop sharing water quality data with the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), bashing the decision by the utility company.

“Irresponsible, spiteful, and a direct threat to public health,” is how Hayles described the NWC’s decision in a media release today.

At yesterday’s monthly meeting of the KSAMC, Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby reported that the state-run utility had decided to stop sharing data following the controversy over an internal report released in March.

Swaby told councillors that representatives from the state-run utility company have not attended Public Health and Sanitation Committee meetings since it passed a resolution on water quality.

Following the meeting, Swaby told The Gleaner that NWC said the public disclosure of the information and how it was handled caused the entity “embarrassment.”

He said the corporation intends to respond to a letter from the NWC about the matter.

Opposition People's National Party Councillor Jesse James Clarke, a microbiology and food quality lecturer, raised concerns about the safety of the water in Kingston and St Andrew following the NWC report that was shared with the corporation.

Clarke, the KSAMC’s public health committee chairman, said he has seen NWC test results from rural areas that showed contamination.

He said water samples returned a high number of positive results for faecal coliforms, a type of bacteria that indicates that the water has been contaminated with faeces, which could pose a serious public health concern.

However, the NWC asserted that its operations meet the highest safety and quality standards.

The opposition spokesperson on water is arguing that the public has a right to know information about water quality and the decision to stop sharing data goes against transparency.

“In a civilised society, citizens have a right to real-time information on issues impacting their health and environment,” stated Hayles.

Hayles emphasised that accessible water quality reports are critical for informed decision-making by households, healthcare providers, and local authorities.

The KSAMC, as the statutory local board of health, and its councillors, as the first point of contact for communities, cannot fulfil their duties without timely updates, argued Hayles.

“This is about checks and balances,” he asserted.

“How can councils address sanitation or pollution concerns if the NWC withholds vital data?” he added.

He is calling for Minister with Responsibility for Water, Mathew Samuda and NWC Acting President, Kevin Carr, to step in and get the commission to immediately resume sharing water quality reports with the KSAMC and reinstate regular attendance at public health meetings.

“Water safety updates must be provided daily, weekly, monthly – without delay or excuse. Lives depend on it,” Hayles said.

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.