Farmers among suspects in Alligator Pond water sabotage, says NWC
Published:Thursday | December 4, 2025 | 5:46 PM
The National Water Commission (NWC) is condemning what it describes as “rising incidents of illegal water connections and deliberate valve tampering” that are disrupting water supply in Alligator Pond in southern Manchester. It said some of the perpetrators are "suspected to be farmers".
According to the commission, field teams have confirmed that some individuals have been “inserting foam and other materials into distribution valves to block regular flow and artificially increase upstream pressure for irrigation and domestic purposes.”
The NWC said thee actions are “not only unlawful but are severely undermining the ability of households, schools, businesses, and essential services to receive their rightful supply.”
"This situation is both unacceptable and troubling as many communities are still working to access reliable water supply following the widespread impact of Hurricane Melissa," it said in a statement on Thursday.
The commission warned that the sabotage is “damaging vital infrastructure, prolonging outages, increasing repair costs, delaying restoration efforts, and threatening public health.”
The NWC said urgent corrective work, including the removal of obstructions and flushing of affected pipelines, has been carried out to restore supply.
The commission said it is also collaborating with law enforcement to pursue legal action where breaches are identified.
"Tampering with water infrastructure is a criminal offence, and the Commission will not hesitate to enforce the law to protect the public’s access to water," the NWC said.
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