Kingston mayor labels NWC absence from KSAMC meetings 'distasteful'

Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby yesterday expressed dissatisfaction with Matthew Samuda, the minister with responsibility for water and housing, and the National Water Commission (NWC) over what he described as their poor treatment of water quality and sewage concerns affecting the municipality.

Swaby's complaint came as the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) approved a resolution for the Bureau of Standards Jamaica to conduct quality testing on water provided by the NWC. The NWC, earlier this year, reportedly discontinued its direct provision of water quality reports and the sending of representatives to meetings held by the KSAMC, which was cause for concern at yesterday's monthly meeting.

"I instructed the CEO to write to the NWC to see if we could have a meeting to resolve the issue... and for the better part of two months, we have been unable to have a meeting with the National Water Commission," charged Swaby in his address to the monthly meeting of the municipal corporation.

"My experience with the Water Commission has not been good. In November of last year, I instructed the CEO to write to the minister in charge of water just to come to the council, and share with us the master plan for the sewage issue in Kingston. To date, he has not responded to that letter, not even saying that he is unable to make it," the mayor said.

"Those things I find distasteful. We are here to serve the people of the municipality, we may disagree on issues, but we have one common cause and that is to serve the people of Kingston and St Andrew," he continued, publicly declaring that under his leadership he will be willing to entertain the Government to address the issues of the people of the KSAMC.

Jesse James Clarke, People's National Party councillor for the Trafalgar Division, who is also a microbiologist, had during a previous meeting raised concerns about the safety of the water in Kingston and St Andrew, in response to a report from the NWC.

Clarke, who is also the KSAMC's public health chairman, said he had seen NWC test results that showed contamination of the water with coliform, a type of bacteria that indicates that the water has been in contact with faeces.

He had said the contamination posed a health risk, which the NWC subsequently rebutted, indicating that its operations and product met the highest safety and quality standards. The utility company said the water it provides to the public is continually monitored through testing in line with guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health and Wellness and international best practices by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Yesterday, Clarke and Chrishena Richards, councillor for the Brandon Hill Division, moved the resolution for private water testing. The resolution was supported by Deputy Mayor Delroy Williams.

Clarke said councillors, particularly those in rural divisions, have several questions about the safety of the water provided to residents. Those questions, he posited, would best be answered in person by NWC representatives if they were attending meetings.

"For example, which sites tested positive for faecal coliforms and the communities affected? Were the residents notified? How many samples were taken from each site for testing? The fundamental principle of public health is the prevention of events that can adversely affect the public," he charged, adding that the KSAMC has a legal obligation to meet this task.

"We are still open to collaborating with the NWC to improve the current vulnerabilities in water quality in rural St Andrew. However, their current lack of cooperation cannot be allowed to prevent the KSAMC from executing its mandate to ensure safe drinking water to customers," he said.

Meanwhile, Williams said that, during his tenure as mayor, the NWC always attended meetings and that he found the entity's recent lack of cooperation "troubling, and they have to furnish some basis for this".

While he agreed with the move for independent water testing, he asked for collaboration between the entity that does so and the NWC on testing methods and results.

Also during the meeting, Swaby warned that the KSAMC's revenue department would be targeting car dealerships with outstanding fees for advertising signs totalling $5.7 million. He said that a total of 188 letters were printed and 89 have already been delivered.

"Invoices have already been delivered to these dealerships, and our teams are actively following up to encourage payment," the mayor noted.

He said that, as of July, about 15 businesses have made payments amounting to $800,000, and that officers were also tracking down businesses that have relocated from their previously known addresses.

"This exercise is not about collecting money. It is about collecting well-needed resources which are required to fund operations to ensure the municipality is managed in the way that it should. Part of the outstanding funds will be used to replace missing and damaged street signs. These signs are critical. They help people to find their way, guide emergency services, keep our roads organised and safe," he said.

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com