NWC races to install new pumping unit at Spring Village

But in Nightingale Grove Housing Scheme, the promise rings hollow. Residents there say that despite being placed on the most generous trucking schedule of any affected area — three days per week — the NWC tankers rarely show up. With taps dry and storage tanks empty, many families have been left with no choice but to buy water from private truckers, at prices they describe as both expensive and unsustainable.

"The schedule says Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, but plenty of times the truck doesn't come at all," said one resident, who asked not to be named. "When it does come, it's sometimes just for a few minutes, and then you have to wait again. So we end up calling the private man and paying him. It's the same water, but we're paying for it out of our pockets."

Another resident told Old Harbour News that households in the scheme are spending thousands of dollars weekly on water deliveries — money that was earmarked for back-to-school expenses and other essentials.

"One truckload from the private truckers is not cheap, and it doesn't even last a week if you have a big family," the resident said. "We can't keep doing this. The NWC schedule looks good on paper, but on the ground, it's not working."

The disruption stems from a mechanical failure at the NWC's Spring Village facility, where a damaged motor unit crippled operations two weeks ago. In a September 5 advisory, the NWC described the outage as "prolonged" and announced an interim trucking roster covering Bushy Park, Spring Village, Island Farm, Nightingale Grove, Five Acres, Round Wood, High House, Lloyd's Pen, Rock Stone and Gutters.

Under that schedule, Nightingale Grove and its farming extension, Five Acres, were the only areas listed for tri-weekly deliveries — Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Gutters Square, High House and Lloyd's Pen were slated for Tuesdays; Bushy Park, Rock Stone and Round Wood for Thursdays; and Spring Village for Saturdays.

At the time, the NWC urged customers to "store water and conserve for essential use during the non-supply days," warning that trucked water was intended for drinking, cooking and basic sanitation only. The commission stopped short of providing a restoration timeline, saying only that it was "actively in the process of procuring a new motor to replace the damaged unit."

In its latest update, the NWC says that procurement has progressed and that installation of a pumping unit at the Spring Village facility is now being carried out. Full restoration is expected by Sunday, September 13, 2026, "barring any unforeseen interruptions."

"The NWC takes this opportunity to thank its valued customers for their patience and understanding during this period," the commission said in the advisory.

One Nightingale Grove resident dismissed the trucking programme as "a band-aid solution."

"Three days a week sounds like a lot until you realise the trucks don't actually come three days a week," the resident said. "We've been buying water for weeks now. If Sunday really brings back the pipes, that would be a blessing. But we've heard promises before."