Prime Minister Andrew Holness says he has instructed the National Water Commission (NWC) to rent generators to service communities still without water in the interim as the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) continues its restoration efforts.

This will cost the government some J$750 million within the first phase of the initiative.

Holness, while speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (July 16), announced that 15 per cent of NWC customers are still without water. He said 78 critical systems are awaiting the Jamaica Public Service’s (JPS) restoration of electricity.

“Madam Speaker, the government is clear that those citizens without access to water are in a difficult situation, and the NWC is working closely with the JPS to have these systems energized to alleviate the struggles these customers are experiencing,” the Prime Minister said.

The prime minister explained that some 50 generators will be mounted on flatbed trucks and transported between communities to allow temporary relief while storage tanks are refilled.

“The plan is to move around the country, electrify these pumps, and announce the period of time when these communities will have water so they can fill their tanks or fill the large community tanks, and we will move around until JPS has returned electricity to other areas,” Holness said.

Additionally, Holness noted that the mobile solutions will also be deployed to additional hospitals and infirmaries by Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Holness said he has instructed the minister with responsibility for water, Matthew Samuda, to pursue an aggressive resilience plan for the NWC.