Samuda: NWC exploring renewable energy options
Published:Saturday | July 23, 2022 | 12:09 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Matthew Samuda, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, says that efforts are being made to incorporate renewable energy systems into the supply systems to reduce electricity costs at the National Water Commission (NWC).
Samuda was speaking during a tour of two newly upgraded water tank systems in Torado Heights, St James, on Wednesday.
The upgrades, done at a cost of $125 million, will provide 300,000 gallons of water to more than 1,000 customers in Torado Heights, Coral Gardens, Flower Hill, and sections of Ironshore, with potential capacity for an additional 500 customers.
“More than one-third of what the NWC collects each month [in revenue] goes into energy costs, which is far too high. There are a number of strategies that we will be employing, including decommissioning old pumps and buying new ones that are more energy efficient, as well as engaging renewables where it is feasible to do so,” said Samuda.
“I say that in the context that NWC has no intention to come off JPS (Jamaica Public Service Company), as it would not be wise for us to do so because of the liability issues,” he, however, noted. “But we will be working with our partners, JPS included, to ensure that we engage the amount of renewables that we can, where we can, to bring the cost down and create some stability in the prices, as well as look at our energy usage right across the system.”
Report water theft
Samuda also renewed a call he had previously made for NWC customers to speak up if they are aware of persons stealing the commodity from the NWC’s systems.
“We need citizens who are paying for their water to be forthright and come forward when they see people stealing water. The systems are not cheap. We want to maintain them, and we want everybody to have flowing water through their pipes all the time, but it means that those who are stealing it have to come on to the system legally,” said Samuda.
Meanwhile, Homer Davis, state minister in the Office of the Prime Minister West, urged residents to get legally connected at the earliest opportunity.
“ ... What I am hearing from NWC is that quite a number of persons have not yet legally connected on to the system,” said Davis. “I will use this medium to appeal to them to get connected legally on to the system. What you see here is $125 million that was spent, so I appeal to them to go in to NWC, make your connection and make it legal, because without that, we cannot maintain the system.”