NWC grapples with thousands of pipeline leaks

 

The National Water Commission says it is grappling with thousands of pipeline leaks, with between 2,000 and 3,000 repairs carried out in St. Catherine during a normal month. 

 

The utility company says ageing infrastructure and increased demand are putting added pressure on its water distribution network. 

 

This comes as Jamaica continues to experience severe drought conditions which have forced the NWC to restrict water availability in several areas and step up water conservation measures.

 

The numbers paint a picture of water network under pressure. The NWC manages about 12,000 kilometres of pipeline, much of it installed decades ago. 

 

Corporate Public Relations Manager Delano Williams says the age of the infrastructure coupled with longer pumping hours and growing population are contributing to more breaks. 

 

"I give you St. Catherine for instance. On a normal, normal month, you're looking at 2,000 to 3,000 leaks per month that are repaired. Yes, in one parish. In real-terms...if you work with an eight-hour work day, you're looking at 14 leaks per hour that need to be fixed. Even if you work 24 hours, you still have four leaks per hour that need to be fixed," he pointed out.

 

Mr. Williams said finding a leak can sometimes be just as difficult as repairing it. In some communities, there are no formal civic addresses, so reports may give crews only a road name or landmark, and where water is being rationed, a leak may be difficult to pinpoint when there is no water flowing through the affected pipeline. 

 

"We try to fix every leak within that 24-hour period, but then you're talking about access. Once the report comes in, we use the records we have, or in some areas we have electronic mapping of the network, so we can tell what size main is there, where we can localise and so on. When it gets a little complicated, is where the directions for the leaks are vague," he conceded.

 

Mr. Williams said some repairs can therefore take two or three days and some cases require even more time because the damaged pipe may be beneath concrete, a roadway or near critical infrastructure.