Water woes in Clarendon

The National Water Commission (NWC) in May Pen, Clarendon sent out press releases on their respective social media pages about the impending disruptions in water supply between Monday, 24 January to Monday, 14 February 2022. However, residents remain in uncertainty as it has been four days and they still have water.

This disruption is as a result of the Palmetto Pen Water Facility being rehabilitated. “This work is necessary to safeguard the viability of the well and to improve overall efficiency of water supply operations”, says NWC. Surrounding areas like Palmetto Pen, Rosewell, Sandy Bay, Green Park, Free Town, Green Bottom, Breadnut Bottom, Kennedy Run, Palmers Cross, Chatteau, Rosewell Road, Cock Pit, Bodles, Sunrise Drive, Rose Haal, Toby Heights, Hartwell Gardens, Rhules Pen and Merrivale Meadows were stated would also be affected.

This expected disruption in the water supply led residents to filling up as many containers as they could in preparation for no water over three weeks. These residents would not be limited to their own catchment of water as water trucks would have been deployed to their communities, according to the NWC. 

Since Monday, people in the respective communities have been waiting with bated breath. “I have never seen water lock off for so long, so I have to prepare”, said a Palmer’s Cross resident. Some people said they had to stay home or take the day off from whatever activities they had on a Sunday to fill up their tanks, drums, buckets and bottles.

A resident from Sandy Bay shared that she went to buy a tank so she would not have to rely on the water trucked to the area. “Sometimes they promise to truck water to the areas and yet they don’t, so you have to prepare”, said the resident. 

A resident from Merrivale Meadows said if the water supply was disrupted, she would not have any. She only has two drums and that would not be enough water for three weeks. “I raise chickens and pigs and they need water, so I have to have water”.

Residents who live far from Palmetto Pen Water Well are wondering why this disruption should affect them. These include residents in Palmer’s Cross which near the centre of Clarendon and those in Bodles which is closer to Old Harbour, St Catherine.