THE National Water Commission (NWC) warned yesterday that consumers in Kingston and St Andrew will continue to have disruptions in their supplies.

“… Despite intermittent showers in a few areas, the water inflows at two of the entity’s largest facilities (Mona and Constant Spring) and several rural systems are still declining. While this is in keeping with the Meteorological Office’s forecast for the dry spell to extend into August – September 2019, it poses significant challenges to the NWC’s bid to provide water supply to the various communities across Kingston and St Andrew,” the NWC said yesterday.

Mona Reservoir, the NWC said, had 33.3 per cent of its capacity at July 20, and Hermitage at 76 per cent.

“The public is, therefore, being urged to brace for possible disruptions in their water supply, including lower water pressure, adjustments in the current water supply regulations and no water in the areas that are worst impacted,” said a release from the commission, yesterday.

The NWC said it was working to streamline its water supply and trucking schedules to better respond to the various areas that are being affected, and wishes to assure its customers that every effort is being made to provide water supply to them in a bid to guarantee their daily livelihood.

The company said tremendous work has been done to ensure the sustained operations at several smaller plants that could be classified as seasonal systems but, which in many cases are the most viable sources of water for many rural communities.

“Over the past months, the NWC has ramped up the expansion, rehabilitation and general maintenance of a number of plants to ensure that maximum inflows can be harnessed, thus ensuring continued operations. With many systems experiencing low inflows for over two months, and the likelihood for extended drought conditions, it is hoped that these measures will help to alleviate some of the challenges faced by customers across the island,” the NWC said.

Customers were, meanwhile, reminded that water was being supplied on a scheduled basis and that they should take steps to store water for use during the period of disruptions.

In addition, it said trucked water schedules were being implemented, where feasible, to augment the water supplied through the pipes.

The NWC said, too, that it has also been targeting improved timelines for leak repairs, and asked customers to continue to report leaks as soon as they are noticed.