MP blames poor water management for disruption at Green Pond High
Published:Friday | May 16, 2025 | 12:09 AMAdrian Frater/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
St James Central Member of Parliament Heroy Clarke has expressed strong disappointment over the suspension of classes at Green Pond High School on Thursday, citing poor management as the root cause of the issue.
A disruption in the school’s water supply prompted Principal Oraine Ebanks to suspend classes and send students home. However, Clarke argued that the situation could have been avoided if the school’s emergency water storage had been properly monitored.
“If the tank was being properly managed, they would have realised that there was no water in it and would have been able to do something about it so that there would be no need to sent home the students today,” said Clarke.
Clarke told The Gleaner that he was working to resolve the issue so that classes could resume on Friday.
“School must reopen tomorrow morning (Friday). There will be no excuse. We are currently trucking water right across the parish, and like the other schools, who had recognised their needs and requested water, Green Pond High School will be getting their tank filled,” said Clarke.
He emphasised that Green Pond High was the only school in the parish that had to suspend classes due to a lack of water,despite ongoing water-supply challenges across St James.
Several communities, including Cornwall Court – where Green Pond High is located – have been experiencing severe water shortages reportedly due to an electrical issue at the Great River Treatment Plant. Other affected areas include Glendevon, Salt Spring, Rose Heights, and Queen’s Drive.
Despite the widespread issue, Clarke said schools in the area have been managing by requesting support or using their budget to purchase water. He pointed out that both Green Pond Basic and Green Pond Primary Schools, which are located nearby, continued normal operations on Thursday thanks to effective water-storage management.
Clarke reiterated his frustration and warned that he would not tolerate similar disruptions in the future.
“We are using today to ensure that the tank is refilled, and I have instructed the administration that going forward, proper management of the water situation is being done to prevent a repeat of what happened today,” said Clarke.