PNP’s Water Contamination Allegations Caused International Reputational Harm – Minister

Water minister, Matthew Samuda, says Jamaica suffered reputational damage due to what he calls the misguided and baseless claims made by the opposition People’s National Party, PNP, about the quality of water being provided to residents in Kingston and St. Andrew by the National Water Commission, NWC.

Minister Samuda was speaking on Nationwide This Morning on Wednesday.

Mahiri Stewart reports.

Several PNP spokespersons recently asserted that water quality tests by the National Water Commission, NWC, showed elevated levels of faecal coliform at some testing sites.

The PNP asserted that some residents especially those served by NWC systems in rural St. Andrew, were exposed to unsafe water.

The NWC along with the Ministry of Health flatly rejected the claim. The NWC said the concerns about the water quality were borne out of a misinterpretation of the data presented in water quality reports.

According to the NWC, a single sample taken at a particular time on a given day does not equate to contaminated water being served to customers across a broad region of the corporate area.

But the opposition maintained through several public statements that the water was contaminated.

Minister Samuda says the assertions affected the NWC’s reputation both locally and internationally.

According to the water minister, there were several international investors who contacted the authorities with concerns.

Minister Samuda says the matter led to the administration having to engage in damage control over several weeks.

He says the concerned parties are satisfied that the water is safe.

The NWC has stopped sending water quality reports to the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation where the assertions about the water quality first emerged.

Minister Samuda says they’re now reviewing the process used to share reports, with the intention to create a format that makes the information user-friendly and accessible to the public.

He says going forward, the report will be shared on a publicly accessible platform so any interested person can access the data.

Meanwhile, Minister Samuda says he will be encouraging the NWC representatives to resume attendance at KSAMC meetings.

Kingston Mayor, Andrew Swaby said on Tuesday that the agency had stopped attending meetings.

Matthew Samuda, minister with responsibility for water.