Water tips for hurricane preparedness

In view of the imminent threat posed to Jamaica by Hurricane Beryl, the National Water Commission (NWC) has provided the following important Hurricane Preparation Tips relating to water supply provision.

Before the onset of storm or hurricane conditions:

1. Remember that water supply systems are inherently at severe risk of damage and disruption from hurricanes and storms, so don't be unprepared if there is a temporary disruption in service – collect and store water.

It is recommended that you store as much water as you can – but at least one gallon per person in the household per day for at least seven days.

2. Tanks should be checked to ensure that they are filled and their non-return valves are working properly. Tanks should be secured as much as possible from high winds – ensuring that they are filled is one way of helping to keep them from being blown away.

3. Ensure that considerations are made for water as part of your hurricane preparedness – including making sure to store foods that are easy to prepare and don't require much water either to prepare or to clean up.

 After the storm:

4. Check to determine if the NWC's public piped supply is disrupted. Especially for persons with directly connected tanks, a disruption in the public supply may not be obvious immediately; but you certainly do not want to be using up your stored water not knowing that the public supply is off.

5. Always conserve the water you have stored. Ensure that water stored in tanks remain locked; limit cooking foods that require much water to prepare; use paper plates to avoid washing dishes and control other activities that use much water. Use untreated or rain water for washing, flushing toilets and similar activities.

6. If your piped supply is disrupted, rain water may be used to replenish potable water you have already used. Rain water may be purified by boiling for five minutes or by adding 2-4 drops of bleach per litre of water.  Water treated with bleach should be allowed to settle for 30 minutes before drinking.

7. Report any broken water or sewer mains or other defective water infrastructure you observe to the nearest NWC office, or call 888 CALL NWC (888-225-5692).

8. Be patient and cooperate in any way you can in the process to restore normality to your water systems. 

9. Have open-mouth, large, clean containers on hand that water can be collected in if water trucking is being done.

"While we still hope that we are spared the worst effects of this dangerous hurricane, the public is assured that the National Water Commission will be working assiduously to maintain its water supply systems even in the face of the threat of a hurricane and to restore all damaged systems in the shortest time possible," the agency said in a press release today.

"The public is also encouraged to visit the NWC website at www.nwcjamaica.com for other related information and hurricane preparedness tips."

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