Dear Editor,

The pump that serves Bay View in Bull Bay, St Thomas, has been out of service for over one week.

Notably, it is beyond unfortunate that the National Water Commission (NWC) is unable to operate, manage, and maintain a simple water pump installation that serves several communities in Bull Bay, and the problem is not new. This is the third breakdown of the pump this year.

The pump station was installed by the developer of several communities in Bull Bay that were built in the late 1960s with a water supply system comprising a well at the base of the hills of Resthaven pumped to a large concrete reservoir at the highest elevation of the community. The water was then gravity fed to the communities at the lower levels of the area. The system was built with a generator for any power failure that may occur and handed over to the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC)/NWC and has been in decline ever since, suffering from theft of fuel from the generator, illegal connections from the water line, and a lack of maintenance from the responsible authority, the KSAC, whose change of name to the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) was ineffective, as is the National Water Commission. We now have unscheduled water disruptions for unknown periods.

This lack of water is especially unfortunate because it can be corrected and prevented, and a visit to the site of the well is a reflection of the lack of care by the water commission and KSAMC. And they, apparently, do not know how to run or maintain the facility, stop the theft of water, and maintain the physical pipes and storage tank.

As a matter of fact, the NWC decided to stop using the tank and distribute water using the electrical pump only, resulting in lost water service in the event of a power failure. The actions of these entities, all of which are government agencies, reflect a lack of capability to maintain the systems necessary for citizens to carry out their daily activities in an ordered manner so that they can be productive.

The situations facing the public are dire, yet when we express frustration at the inconveniences perpetuated by government entities we hear that we are being negative.

This is an insult to those of us who pay our taxes for utilities and contribute to the running of the country in ways the Government does not appreciate since we do not pay homage to or worship politicians.

So, in addition to being unfortunate, the level of mismanagement, incompetence, and now disrespect from the Government is unacceptable.

If the management of the water commission was paying attention to the matter of providing water to its paying customers, it would hire competent people to secure, maintain, and manage its facilities. Ironically, the NWC has been boasting these days that it has been making a profit, which should have been the encouragement needed to improve their technical and security personnel and systems. As a result, the current leadership of the NWC, including its numerous vice-presidents, should be replaced with people committed to the efficient operation and management of the water commission.

As a taxpaying and fee-paying citizen and resident of Bull Bay, I demand systems be implemented to rectify the incompetent management of this critical utility.

Hugh Dunbar

hmdenergy@gmail.com