Concern about quality of water systems being manned by St Mary MC Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

Chief Health Inspector for St Mary, Rupert Stephens, has expressed concern relative to the unsatisfactory quality of 16 of the water supply systems that are being manned by the parish’s municipal corporation.

While speaking at the monthly meeting of the St Mary Municipal Corporation (SMMC) on Thursday, Stephens said the health department is now monitoring the water systems, as some of them are consistently unsafe.

“The St Mary Health Department is concerned about the results from monthly monitoring of the water supplies manned by the St Mary Municipal Corporation,” he told the councillors.

“The data has revealed that of the 42 supplies operated by the corporation, only 26 were deemed bacteriologically safe. In addition, there are a number of supplies which consistently presented unsafe reports from 2021 to date,” he added.

According to Stephens, the health department also submitted 16 drinking water samples which included the National Water Commission (NWC) supplies, to the national public health laboratory in July for testing.

Some of the results are worrying, he said.

“Eight samples were deemed to be satisfactory, while eight samples were deemed to be unsatisfactory,” the chief health inspector outlined.

File photo

Continuing, he said: “Five samples were collected at NWC supplies, and all were deemed bacteriologically safe. Six samples were collected at St Mary Municipal Corporation supplies; two of the six samples were analysed and found to be bacteriologically safe.

“A total of 29 chlorine residual checks were conducted; 16 were conducted at St Mary Municipal Corporation supplies and nine were found to be satisfactory of that number,” he stated.

In reacting to the news that only 26 of the 42 water systems under the control of the municipal corporation are bacteriologically safe, Port Maria Mayor, Richard Creary, said he is displeased by the disclosure.

He gave a directive to the superintendent of works at the municipality to find a solution to the contamination of the water supply systems over the next two months.

“… So come October, it’s not 16 is the number. It (the contaminated water systems) should be going down,” warned Creary, who is also Chairman of the St Mary Municipal Corporation.

“Mi nuh want the details of one spring or whatever. If there is a challenge with that one, seek the expertise to solve that problem and move on to the next one and solve that one,” he advised.

NewsAmericasNow.com