Sept / Oct 2016 | Business View Caribbean

34 September 2016 - Business View Caribbean Business View Caribbean - September 2016 35 The National Water Commission of Jamaica Serving you in so many ways The National Water Commission (NWC) was formally established in 1980, under the auspices of the Nation- al Water Commission Act. “Prior to 1980, there were two main organizations responsible for the provision of water supplies and sewage services throughout the island,” explains Mark Barnett, the NWC’s President since 2015, “the Kingston and St. Andrew Water Com- mission and the more rurally focused, National Water Authority. In 1980, there was an amalgamation of the two entities to form the National Water Commission.” While it is not the only service provider in the coun- try – there are a few private and quasi-governmental operations ongoing - the National Water Commission is charged with the responsibility of being the main provider of potable water supply, and the collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater services to the people of Jamaica. Today, the NWC produces more than 90 percent of the country’s potable water from a network of more than 160 underground wells, over 116 river sources (via water treatment plants), and 147 springs. It produces 180 million imperial gallons of potable water a day for over two million persons and supplies more than a half million of those persons with wastewater services, as well. Approximately 73 percent of Jamaica’s population is supplied via house connections from the National Water Commission and the remaining 27 percent obtains water from stand- pipes, water trucks, wayside tanks, community catch- ment tanks, rainwater catchment tanks, and direct ac- cess to rivers and streams. Approximately 30 percent of Jamaica’s population is served by sewerage facilities operated by the NWC. This includes some small sewerage systems, utiliz- ing package plants, which are associated with hous- ing developments in various locations throughout the country. The disposal of the sewage generated in the remainder of the population is done through various types of on-site systems such as septic tanks, soak- away pits, tile fields and pit latrines, or other systems operated by other entities. The NWC operates more than 1,000 water supply, and over 100 sewerage facilities, islandwide. These vary from large raw water storage reservoirs at Her- mitage and Mona in St. Andrew and the Great River treatment plant in St. James, to medium sized and small diesel-driven pumping installations serving rural towns and villages across Jamaica. The NWC facilities also include over 10,000 kilometers of pipelines and more than 1,000 kilometers of sewer mains across AT A GLANCE WHO: The National Water Commission of Jamaica WHAT: The main provider of potable water sup- ply, and the collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater services in Jamaica WHERE: Kingston, Jamaica WEBSITE : www.nwcjamaica.com