Water shortage impacting hall life on UWI campus
Published:Monday | November 16, 2015 | 12:00 AM
While much of Kingston and St Andrew has returned to some semblance of normality in water supply, the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, continues to struggle with a severe shortage.
Students who live on halls of residence at the campus have indicated that they have been without water in the main pipes since August.
Guild President Davianne Tucker told The Gleaner that the older halls on campus have been hit hardest by the water shortage.
"Right now, as it stands, it has been ongoing since September. The guild has written consistently about it because the truth is, the students, especially those in some of the older halls, they have had to be releasing their waste on top of other waste, when they get in. They can't shower after a long day, and for many of them, that is not something that they are used to at home," Tucker said.
She noted that students feel the university administration is not doing enough to address the problem.
The Gleaner understands that the university has been using two units that it owns to truck water to different areas of the campus. Additional units have also been contracted to assist with the water distribution.
Students concerned
Students are, however, concerned that the halls of residence have not been prioritised in the water-distribution schedule devised by the Estate Management Department of the university. Students on one hall last week bombarded the office of the student services manager. That incident has since been reported to the university administration.
Tucker said a combination of the increase in the student population, inefficient piping infrastructure, and poor drainage infrastructure on the campus has exacerbated the water-supply problem.
A response from the university administration was not forthcoming up to press time.