KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) says it has written to the National Water Commission (NWC) requesting a detailed report on the widespread disruption of water supply to customers over the Christmas period.

The OUR said it anticipates that it will receive an update from the NWC by December 31.

The utilities regulator, in a release this afternoon, said the letter follows a telephone conversation this morning between OUR’s Director General, Ansord Hewitt and President of the NWC, Mark Barnett, where Hewitt sought an explanation for the disruptions and an update on the water supply restoration efforts.

In the letter sent to the NWC today, the OUR requested that the NWC provides a report which includes the following information:

– The number of communities/areas affected, what caused the disruptions in all such instances and what has been done to date to address those issues;

– Status of restoration of water supply in each affected community/area;

– Details on the estimated number of customers affected;

– Details on how and when affected customers were notified of the disruptions;

– Whether customers were notified in instances where service was restored in a limited capacity, especially in instances where there is a regulated schedule;

– Information on the current arrangement between the National Works Agency and the NWC (by way of consultation, cooperation and prior notice) to minimize interruptions and mitigate the effects of the ongoing major construction projects.

While a number of areas in Kingston and St Andrew were most significantly affected, the OUR noted that communities in practically every parish had water supply disruptions over the holiday period, with some still not yet restored.

It added that in a preliminary response, the NWC indicated that 70 of its 450 systems were affected, with 30 of the 70 systems so far restored.