Water restrictions begin for NWC customers served by Mona Dam as drought worsens

Water restrictions took effect on Monday for National Water Commission (NWC) customers supplied by the Mona Dam, as worsening drought conditions continue to strain Jamaica's water supply.

The restrictions affect communities including Liguanea, Mountain View, sections of New Kingston, Cross Roads and Vineyard Town, with customers expected to receive water daily between 6:00 am and 6:00 .m.

The measures were announced last week by NWC Acting Corporate Public Relations Manager Delano Williams during a media briefing hosted by the Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change on the country's drought response.

Williams said the Mona Dam is currently at 62 per cent of capacity. While this is an improvement over the 39.3 per cent recorded at the same time last year, it remains well below the 81.8 per cent recorded in 2024, reflecting the impact of below-normal rainfall this year.

He also noted that the Hermitage Dam is at 47.4 per cent of capacity, compared with 45 per cent in 2025 and 98 per cent in 2024.

The NWC has already introduced scheduled water supply on the Constant Spring network and has implemented several drought-management measures as 73 of its water systems have been affected. These include transferring water between distribution networks where possible, purchasing additional water from private suppliers to support supplies in Portmore, St Catherine, and deploying 18 NWC trucks along with 52 private trucks to distribute water to affected communities.

Meanwhile, the Water Resources Authority (WRA) is warning that declining river flows are placing even greater pressure on the country's water resources. WRA Managing Director Peter Clarke said river flows have fallen significantly compared with both earlier this year and the corresponding period last year, reducing an important alternative water source for many households during periods of low piped water supply.

Clarke also warned that reduced flows through the Yallahs pipeline from St Thomas are further limiting supplies to the Corporate Area.

According to Williams, Kingston and St Andrew require about 40 million gallons of water each day, but current production is only about half that amount.

He urged consumers to conserve water by reducing activities such as lengthy bathing, excessive washing and vehicle washing, which he described as non-essential during the drought.

With below-normal rainfall forecast over the coming months, both the NWC and the WRA are warning that water shortages could worsen unless conservation efforts are strengthened.

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