Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Mr. Buchannan said recent rainfalls are not enough to break the drought conditions being experienced across the island.

“The limited rainfall that we have received over the past few days is certainly not enough to change or reverse all of the months of drought impact that we have had…we’re therefore still continuing to encourage customers to recognise that a drought is still on, and we will urge their assistance in conserving in their use of water and using it in the best way possible,” he stated.

Mr. Buchanan said in the interim, the NWC will continue trucking water to communities greatly affected by the drought.

He added that consumers will see an increase in their water supply as soon as rainfalls are significant enough to result in an increase of inflows into treatment facilities.

As part of drought mitigation measures, the Government allocated $3 billion to the NWC to undertake a major programme to replace or rehabilitate several of the 445 water storage tanks across the island to bring them to full functionality.

Cabinet also approved $30 million for the trucking of water to drought-affected areas of the country.

The drought conditions, which began to affect the island in January, are expected to continue until the next period of precipitation in May.

By Chris Patterson, JIS Reporter

Source: http://www.jis.gov.jm/