Left: Young Chiquyu Brown reaches for two of the bottles used to store water at his home on Toronto Drive, Willowdene Estate in St. Catherine.   Right: 'Full blast': despite turning the facet to its maximum this trickle was all it provided. Residents in Willowdene Estate said they are unable to use their showers due to the low water pressures they persistently experience. This is an example from the house of one resident on Clayton Way. - photos by ross shiel

WHAT'S NOT WORKING?

For some residents of the Willowdene Estate community, which is situated off the Old Harbour main road in St. Catherine, the necessity of piped water is a seasonal delight. The low water pressure experienced in certain sections of the community makes it virtually impossible for some residents to utilise the showers in their bathroom.

SYNOPSIS OF THE SITUATION:

Deprived! This maybe the word that best describes the worrying water woes of some Willowdene residents. Those living on Clayton Way, Clayton Crescent, Toronto Drive and Leamington Crescent lamented that this has been their persistent predicament for decades. "Mi have mi bathroom an mi hardly get to use the shower, mi affi set a container at the pipe outside to catch water," said 'Miss Sonia', a resident from Leamington Crescent, who has lived in the area for over 23 years.

This claim was reverberated by Marvaline Witter and Doreen Bryan, two residents of Toronto Drive.

One elderly citizen of Clayton Crescent, 'Mrs. Dugall', vented that the 12 years of familiarity she has endured fighting against the depressive water situation, which has haunted the community, seems never-ending.

Ironically, Tyrone's Watch was not the only one with eyes on the community, as workers from the National Water Commission (NWC), which the residents decried for its failure to remedy the water pressure problems they have been grappling with for more than two decades, were conducting a disconnection drive in the community.

One of the workers told our news team that the drive was as a result of non-payment of bills. However, some residents contended that the water company was not deserving of their funds because of the low quality of the service being provided.

WHO'S RESPONSIBLE?

The National Water Commission (NWC).

WHAT'S THE STATUS?

Charles Buchanan, corporate public relations manager at the NWC, said that the water company accepts responsibility for the low water pressure the residents are experiencing. However, he assured the residents that their water pressure problems would be solved within the next three years with the completion of the multi-million-dollar Kingston Metro-politan Area Water Supply Rehabilitation project, which began more than a year ago and should be completed in 2009.

CONCLUSION:

Well, a day alone without running water is a demanding and frustrating experience, let alone a three years' wait.

Just recently, having to live through almost eight hours without piped water resulted not only in my heighthened annoyance with the ordeal, but also what felt like elevated blood pressure levels associated with stress. It also forced me to boycott a planned event I had purchased a ticket for as I was unable to hygienically prepare myself by taking a bath and brushing my teeth.

So, I can more than imagine the plight of the residents of Willowdene Estate who might just have to add three more strokes to their annual tally, if there are no other given alternatives. The NWC may need to consider other avenues through which they can aid in alleviating the residents' anguish caused by the constantly low water pressure levels. The trucking of water to these areas may be greeted with much delight leading to the 2009 finale.

Left: National Water Commission workers in the process of carrying out a disconnection on Toronto Drive in Willowdene Estate, St. Catherine.   Right: A livid 'Miss Sonia', a resident of Leamington Drive in Willowdene Estate, St. Catherine, vents her frustration while standing at a location on Toronto Drive where National Water Commission workers had just conducted a disconnection.

This instalment of Tyrone's Watch was done by Marlon Vickerman, Gleaner Writer.