Consistent water supply a pipe dream in Sligoville
Published:Friday | July 2, 2021 | 12:10 AMRasbert Turner/Gleaner Writer
The dry pipes in sections of Sligoville are a cruel joke to residents who have endured water-supply challenges for as long as they can remember.
Karla Beckford said that folks in James Mountain primarily depend on rainfall, as water is supplied to the hilly community about twice monthly. She blames their misfortune on geography. The upshot: Those located on lower ranges are less likely to have access issues.
“We on the rise have to be carrying buckets to get any,” Beckford said of the disadvantage of living upslope.
The problem is not unique to James Mountain.
The dry cry resonates, too, at Spicy Grove in Waugh Hill district, where residents said consistent water supply is a pipe dream.
“There is some water here, as even yesterday water was pumping, but none don’t reach up here; the storage cannot reach up here so,” Nigel Waugh said of his experience on Monday.
Waugh said that for several years, supply has been infrequent – a catastrophe made worse during dry spells, when they can’t even catch enough for domestic purposes.
“It is the rains that help us, but for some time there is no rain, so it is bad,” Mark Bartholomew said of their predicament.
At the pumping station about a mile on the incline from Spicy Grove, a catchment leaks.
That’s not the only problem. It’s just not large enough to support the population.
Fitzroy Waugh, Nigel’s uncle, is a bit of a village historian. He said the catchment was built in 1974 and was originally run with a diesel-powered pump.
Fitzroy accuses the authorities of neglect.
“The only real maintenance it has being getting is a coat of paint. The little welding done on it was by residents who fixed it,” Fitzroy said, adding that the unit was in desperate need of an upgrade.
Dwight Burke, councillor of the Sligoville division, described the situation as “terrible” and is lobbying for it to be addressed. He said that communities such as Cedar Valley, Kensington, Waugh Hill, James Mountain, and Jackson have been adversely affected.
“We await the replacement and continue to make representation for effective change,” Burke said.
Meantime, National Water Commission field operations manager for St Catherine, Calvert Davis, said that the state agency was aware of the issues and was committed to finding a fix.
“We are currently awaiting the pumps to address the problems in James Mountain and its surroundings, as it’s a pumping problem that exists. However, it’s a source problem in the Waugh Hill community, so that will need more work,” Davis said.