‘I am not NWC’

In a dry response to complaints from residents pleading for better access to water in Walkers Hill in her St Andrew West Rural constituency, Member of Parliament (MP) Juliet Cuthbert Flynn says they should take their concerns to the National Water Commission (NWC).

The frustrated residents in that section of Red Hills have flooded our newsroom with calls and emails detailing their plight and lack of progress in getting the matter addressed.

On Friday when The Gleaner visited the community, they complained bitterly as they showed our news team dry taps and empty drums.

Yesterday, the two-term MP told The Gleaner that she was unaware of their plight, going on to deliver a stinging response before the call abruptly ended.

“Have you called NWC to find out? I don't understand when you say there was a water disruption. For how long? For today? Is there a time limit since they had water disruption? NWC normally sends out an advisory and I am not aware,” she said.

“Tell dem to call NWC to find out. I don't know why you're calling me. Why are you calling me? ... I am not NWC,” she said before the call was disconnected.

Several messages and calls placed by The Gleaner to the NWC's Corporate Public Relations Manager Andrew Canon went unanswered.

The residents say that they have grown accustomed to getting the precious commodity in their taps only on Wednesdays and Sundays. Normally, they would store supplies to take them through the days which they expected to be without service, but over the past month, an irregular cycle has thrown them into a tailspin.

“The last time the water come, it stay for like an hour then we nuh get no more after that,” one resident said. “Every house have a black tank, you have to have a water tank.”

Another resident said they have to use the water “little little”.

“When you wake up and use the bathroom in the morning, you can't flush it until the next morning,” he told The Gleaner.

Sherine Russell, who lives some distance up the hill, said there are times when months passed without any water in her pipes.

“Up here full a tanks, a suh we survive or we suffer and dead because we nuh have no water on a regular like day to day. Every house have three or four drums 'cause dog eat we supper,” Russell said.

They are hoping that the NWC can at least return to the twice-weekly service.

FRUSTRATING

Julet Salmon, who lives even further up the hill, said that when it comes, the low water pressure drives up her blood pressure.

“And I don't want to take the pill, so I am glad you guys are

here. Months we don't get no water. If the pressure is low, it don't pass here,” Salmon said.

The residents say they resort to the more expensive resource option of paying for water to be trucked to the community.

“We affi carry water inna bottle and go up the hill. I am suffering because you see that hill up there, water pressure have to be heavy to reach up. I have arthritis in mi hand and mi cry nuff time. Mi bawl by time mi reach up with the water,” Salmon said.

The residents, who are also battling garbage collection woes, said that even with the dry pipes, one thing remains constant: the monthly bill.

“We paying for air and the meter charge every month and if we don't pay, it build up. The last bill was $2,000-odd,” Salmon told The Gleaner.

Added to that, they have to fork out between $3,000 and $4,000 to pay truckers to refill their tanks and drums.

The residents said they have been told that a pump has been damaged, but they lament the broken mains seen in neighbouring communities with water going to waste while they are left to suffer.

Almina Minott told The Gleaner that she has been living in the area since 1963 and this is the worst the water crisis has been.

“No water on Walkers Hill from when, but it bad now. We look forward to it on Sundays and Wednesdays and we just full up, but now, Jesam peas! We starving for water and we can't even afford the truck,” Minott said.

Minott said her household has invested in drums and tanks and she has resorted to turning down the pressure valve to conserve on the water in the tanks.

She is also unable to make use of a washing machine because of the lack of water.

“Mi nuh bathe inna shower long time. Couldn't tell when last mi get a shower bath,” Minott said.