NWC supplies UWI 24 hours a day

THE EDITOR, Sir:

The National Water Commission (NWC) has no interest or desire to engage in any public discussions on matters relating to one of our valued customers, the University of the West Indies (UWI), about water-supply challenges to sections of the Mona campus.

Within that context, the NWC's only specific comment on the issue has been to merely respond to questions from the media to say that the problems described at the time of no water being in the pipes for as long as since August are inconsistent with the supply regime from the NWC to the UWI campus and, therefore, must be related in some way to other issues on the property.

At no time have we suggested that there is an uninterrupted water supply to the area or is unaffected by the extreme drought, given limited inflows to our Hope Treatment Plant.

Further to reports carried in the media about piped water not being received on sections of the campus for months, the NWC must advise that it has conducted an assessment of the water supply to the Mona campus, which has revealed that the pressure both before and after the customer meter on the service connection that serves the university is 60 psi and has been consistently so during the week of the 15th to the 21st of November. This reading reflects the maximum pressure in accordance with the established regulatory guidelines as stipulated by the Office of Utilities Regulation that we should maintain in supplying our customers.

It is also to be noted that in keeping with the priority given to this public institution, water is currently supplied to UWI for 24 hours each day, even when there is no water being pumped to Papine or any other part of the Hope supply system.

Earlier this year, given the severe impacts on our operations caused by the El Nino-induced drought conditions, and as part of its response outreach, the NWC engaged meetings and discussions with representatives of the UWI and outlined details of the expected impact on its water supply service. Those discussions also sought to identify collaborative ways in which any negative impact on the campus could be mitigated.

Furthermore, despite limited resources, the operations teams have carried out numerous investigations/assessments and interventions at the UWI.

The NWC knows that complaints of not receiving water in the mains since August are inconsistent with the supply scenario that the NWC has maintained to the UWI.

Notwithstanding, the NWC continues to work with the UWI to resolve any on-site water-supply problems being experienced on sections of the UWI campus, even if those issues are beyond the NWC's point of supply.

CHARLES BUCHANAN

Corporate Public Relations

Manager

National Water Commission