Maintenance checks ongoing, water restoration under way after islandwide blackout - NWC

The National Water Commission (NWC) says its operational teams are carrying out maintenance checks following Friday’s islandwide power outage and that phased water supply restoration activities at several facilities are ongoing. 

In a statement on Saturday, the NWC said prescribed system checks, operational assessments, and safety protocols are being implemented due to the sudden and widespread nature of the outage to ensure facilities are safely and effectively restarted.

The commission said these measures are necessary to protect critical equipment and maintain the integrity of water supply systems.

It said that while electricity has already been restored to several facilities, some pumping systems are still being restarted, and the network will require time to recharge before water can be distributed to customers.

Affected systems include several facilities in Manchester, among them the Ingleside, Pusey Hill, and Warrick Relift facilities, as well as the Perth Estate storage system. 

Restoration activities are also under way at the Terminal facility in St James, the Ferry distribution tanks in Kingston and St Andrew, and the Flint River distribution tanks in Hanover.

As a result, the NWC said some customers may continue to experience disruptions, low water pressure, or delays in the restoration of supply while facilities return to normal operating levels.

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