Christopher Burgess | The silence on drinking water quality is deafening

Jamaicans are growing increasingly anxious about the quality of our drinking water. The worsening test results in January and February, combined with the silence of the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) and Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), and the suppression of the National Water Commission (NWC), by the minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), only fuels those fears. The lack of transparency should concern all Jamaicans.

TROUBLING TRENDS

Water quality reports for January and February 2025 show worrying signs: parts of the city and rural areas are not meeting drinking water safety guidelines. Coliform bacteria were found in five per cent of urban distribution samples, above the national threshold of less than five per cent. Nine city locations tested positive in February, up from seven in January. NWC, is the water getting better, or worse?

The situation is even worse in rural St. Andrew. Coliform bacteria were detected in 23 per cent of samples at the source and 16 per cent in the distribution system. This is well above the five per cent threshold and points to systemic treatment failure. Contamination from livestock faeces and sewage is possibly entering the supply. February saw 15 rural locations test positive, up from nine the month before. These are troubling trends.

OBLIGATED TO MONITOR DRINKING WATER

The minister’s assertion that NWC is not obligated to report water quality is incorrect. NWC is obligated under it’s OUR licence to monitor and report water quality. OUR regulates the NWC to ensure it delivers safe and reliable water, through its ‘overall standards’ and is required to meet 99 per cent compliance with standards, with regular testing for bacteria and chlorine levels. While MOHW sets the rules, OUR holds NWC accountable. So where is OUR in this drinking water matter?

KSAMC relies on NWC reports to infer compliance. KSAMC is also duty-bound, under Section 16 of the Public Health Act, to report breaches. And MOHW is empowered to order corrective measures when dirty water threatens public health. So why hasn’t MOHW acted?

TYPHOID OUTBREAK IN WESTMORELAND

History reminds us that the threat of waterborne disease outbreaks is real. From cholera in the 1850s to typhoid epidemics in Westmoreland in 1978, and the 1990s, unsafe drinking water has put lives at risk. The typhoid cases in 1990s were linked to contaminated piped water and poor sanitation. The UNOP summarised the causes of the 1990s outbreak:

“Contamination of the Roaring River and inadequate operations at the NWC’s Roaring River water treatment plant were identified as major contributors to the typhoid outbreaks. Improvements in the system included the following: maintaining complete and accurate records on water quality; proper operation of the plant; continuous and adequate chlorination system; expanding the volume of water supplied by construction of a new slow sand filter treatment plant…”

In November 1992 alone, 470 cases and four deaths were recorded. I hope NWC remembers the lessons from Westmoreland, and that water is life.

ACTION VERSUS OPTICS

Minister Samuda’s public gulp of NWC bottled tap water in Montego Bay was good PR, but it does little to reassure people like Carlton in Dallas Mountain, or Jessica in Maryland, Irish Town. Is their drinking water safe? We have heard nothing since March, and the apparent gag order only erodes public trust.

Let’s be clear: in April MOHW did confirm that samples tested positive for bacteria, which WHO said should not be the case. And no, NWC water is not the envy of the Caribbean. Major hotels install their own reverse osmosis (RO) plants and wells and only buy a small amount of water from NWC, because RO water quality is more reliable than NWC water. PR and gag orders won’t restore trust, but transparency and leadership will. The minister should insist that NWC release the monthly reports as they are required to under the law.

WHAT WHO SAYS SHOULD HAPPEN

When faecal bacteria is found in drinking water, WHO is unambiguous: act fast, communicate clearly, and protect the public. Boil water advisories must be issued immediately, and health officials must ensure the public is fully informed.

But boiling alone isn’t enough. WHO recommends a multi-barrier approach: protect the source, treat water with filtration and chlorination, and secure distribution pipes. The lessons from Roaring River are simple, inaction is costly in illness and lives.

NO MORE GAG ORDERS

Jamaicans expect and deserve clean, safe drinking water. If the water is still unsafe, the public must be informed immediately.

The NWC must release its March and April water quality reports without delay, as required by its OUR licence. It would be disgraceful if OUR had to intervene, rather than common sense and public duty prevailing. Some of NWC’s own engineers lived through the typhoid crisis and understand the value of transparency, public education, and clean water in preventing disease. Let them speak, don’t politicize the issue.

The MOHW must behave like a health ministry. It should closely follow WHO drinking water guidelines and ensure they are finally gazetted and enforced. And OUR must step out of its air-conditioned office and silence and do its job, on behalf of the consumers. This is not the time for hiding. It’s time to act in the public’s interest and insist on accountability.

Christopher Burgess, PhD is a registered civil engineer, land developer and the managing director of CEAC Solutions Company Limited. He is currently a Jamaica Institution of Engineers council member. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com