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No water in Mount Horeb for more than a month

Published:Saturday | October 22, 2011 | 12:00 AM
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A woman who gave her name as Mrs Notice opens the drum from which she draws drinking water in Mount Horeb, rural St Andrew.
Aside from water woes, residents of Mount Horeb complain of deplorable road conditions.
A section of the PVC pipeline that has been damaged by the work being done on the alternative road. That has left residents without water for more than a month now in Mount Horeb, rural St Andrew.
The alternative road that is being cut in Mount Horeb.
Wade Silvera from the rural St Andrew community of Mount Horeb shows a Gleaner team the drums he uses to catch rainwater.
A dangerous breakaway in Mount Horeb. - - Ricardo Makyn
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Residents of Mount Horeb have been without water for more than a month, and the National Water Commission has not trucked the precious commodity to the rural St Andrew community.

A breakaway has prevented travel on the main road leading from Mount Horeb to Mount Prospect, a distance of just over half a mile.

This has caused great inconvenience to residents, and especially students.

Residents of Mount Horeb have to walk to Brandon Hill, then take a taxi through Junction and Temple Hall, wending their way eventually to Mount Prospect.

To avoid that circuitous route, some parents walk through the hills in order to get to Mount Prospect.

Residents claim that the PVC water pipeline was allegedly damaged by heavy machinery during works to carve out an alternative road.

Because the roadwork is still ongoing, the National Water Commission can't install new pipes. Residents complain about the lack of water, and have to travel miles away to obtain potable water, as well as catching rainwater for bathing.

Residents said children sometimes don't attend school because they have no water to bathe.


- Ricardo Makyn

 Photos by Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer