‘We wake up to dry pipes’: Farmer pleads for water

Francis, one of many farmers and resident impacted by the ongoing disruption, said communities near Five Acres and areas close to Jamaica Broilers have been without both National Water Commission (NWC) and irrigation water nearing two weeks now.

“We wake up from last week Wednesday morning and there was no water… no NWC water, no irrigation water, nothing,” Francis said during an emotional interview, describing the worsening conditions affecting Five Acres and nearby farming districts close to Jamaica Broilers.

Francis, who cultivates cash crops alongside neighbouring farmers, said the lack of water has already begun destroying produce and threatening livestock operations in the area.

She further stated several residents depend heavily on irrigation systems and while some neighbouring communities reportedly began receiving irrigation water again last week, residents in her area remain without supply.

She explained that she contacted the National Irrigation Commission (NIC) and submitted the required documents and bills, but was informed that a mechanical issue affecting an NWC pump was preventing water from reaching sections of the farming district.

The lack of water has already severely damaged crops including okra, cucumber, sweet pepper, callaloo and scallion.

“When we went down there Sunday evening, the sweet pepper was burning and the callaloo was wilted,” she said, adding that many crops were already drying up from earlier in the week.

She noted that the situation has been especially difficult after farmers recently restarted operations following previous setbacks caused from Hurricane Melissa. Additionally, she questioned why backup systems were not in place to prevent a complete disruption in water supply.

“Every water system should have a spare pump,” she argued, while recounting comments made by another resident who compared the issue to keeping a spare tyre for a vehicle.

With no consistent trucked water supply reaching some communities, residents have been forced to travel to Bushy Park and other areas to collect water in barrels and drums, often paying taxi operators for transportation.

It is alleged that some residents were being charged up to $600 for “a blue barrel” of water, while others complained that water deliveries were limited and inconsistent. 

Francis said the crisis is affecting not only farmers, but also elderly residents, schools and households across several communities. She added that many residents are now staying up late at night or waking in the early hours of the morning in hopes of finding access to water.

The frustrated farmer is now calling for urgent intervention to restore the water supply before more crops are lost and conditions worsen.

“Think about the elderly, sick people, schools, everybody need water and we need it back right now. It really put a stop on farming and the time hot bad so we need water to function,” she plead. 

When contacted the NWC was unable to provide a restoration timeline. The NWC Spring Village facility has been decommissioned due to mechanical problems leaving thousands of residents in the communities of Spring Village, Nightingale Grove, Island Farm, Gutters, Bushy Park and Church Pen Housing Scheme and Gordon Wood without the precious commodity.