Regulatory framework
This is the highest legal norm in the country. According to this, drinking water and sanitation are fundamental human rights, therefore the resource must be managed sustainably and the environment must be protected, since this can have effects on the quality of the water. Therefore, the projects carried out must demonstrate that they do not affect the sustainability of the resource, otherwise they would be violating the standard. It also establishes that all waters (surface, underground, soil moisture, springs) are in the state public domain with the exception of rainwater.
It specifically establishes, in addition to establishing the national Water policy, what are the powers of the Executive Branch in matters of water. Regulates easements, both natural and civil.
It specifically establishes, in addition to establishing the national Water policy, what are the powers of the Executive Branch in matters of water. Regulates easements, both natural and civil.
It specifically establishes, in addition to establishing the national Water policy, what are the powers of the Executive Branch in matters of water. Regulates easements, both natural and civil.
Institutional Framework
The MEGJC is responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies relating to the areas of its portfolio that include Water and Wastewater, Land, Environment, Climate Change, Housing, Urban Renewal, Economic Policy and Investment, and Works. The areas of its portfolio are strategically aligned with the National Development Plan Vision 2030.
The NWC supplies 190 million gallons of drinking water each day to its more than 400,000 registered accounts, representing approximately 2 million people throughout Jamaica. Over the past five decades, the growth of the industrial sector, coupled with the establishment of several new residential communities in various sections of St. Andrew, St. Catherine and many other parishes in Jamaica, has led to an increase in the demand for drinking water.
Regulate, protect and manage Jamaica's water resources and influence the process of distribution, conservation, sustainability and security of supply. The Water Resources Authority (WRA) was created by the Water Resources Act 1995. Its mandate is to regulate, allocate, conserve and otherwise manage Jamaica's water resources.
The main function of the NIC is to provide irrigation services to the agricultural sector. Additionally, through our systems, water is made available to some industrial and commercial operations. NIC's main objectives are to manage, operate, maintain and expand existing and future irrigation schemes and systems, which may be established by the Government of Jamaica . The NIC is authorized by the Irrigation Act, 1949, which regulates the utilization of available water for irrigation of special areas of Jamaica, as well as the conservation and use of groundwater for purposes incidental to or related to such purposes.
The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation. The Agency became operational on April 1, 2001 as an Executive Agency under the Executive Agencies Act. It was founded to carry out the technical (functional) and administrative mandate of three statutory bodies, the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA), the Town and Country Planning Authority (TCPA) and the Land Use and Development Commission ( LDUC).NEPA is the principal government agency with the mandate for environmental protection, natural resource management, land use and spatial planning in Jamaica. The Agency's operations are funded through recurring budget allocations from the Consolidated Fund of the Government of Jamaica (GoJ) through the Ministry of Finance; and Allocation in Aid through (50% of) Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) fees derived from permits and licenses. The projects are funded by budget allocations from the Consolidated Fund of the Government of Jamaica, Capital "A" and "B", and by technical assistance and project finance grants from the funds of the NRCA and various international donor organizations.
The former Carib Engineering Corporation Limited (CECL), created in April 1983, is 100% owned by the government and was established to implement the Yallahs pipeline project, which was to form the first phase of the Blue Mountain water supply programme. . The CEC's role was later expanded to include responsibility for island-wide supply schemes, eventually changing its name to become Rural Water Supply Limited (RWS). Its objectives are to improve basic sanitary conditions by increasing the coverage of drinking water and sanitation services in poor rural areas.
The Office of Public Utilities Regulation regulates the water and sewage sector in Jamaica, which includes the National Water Commission (main provider of water and sewage services throughout the island), other water and sewage providers, and the National Commission of Irrigation. The Office determines the fees to be charged and the service level standards applicable to service providers.
Most of Jamaica’s water comes from underground sources called aquifers, which are layers of rock and/or sediments containing groundwater. The two main types of aquifers in Jamaica are limestone and alluvium, the largest being limestone and containing about 50% of the island’s groundwater. Other sources include rivers, springs, ponds and wells.The Mona Reservoir and Hermitage Dam act as storage tanks for Kingston and St. Andrew and are the largest water retention facilities in the country.
Jamaica
Links of interest:
There are smaller water supply systems serving the rest of the island.Jamaica has eight hydropower plants that contribute to the national electricity grid. These stations harness the power of moving water to help generate electricity and are located in St. Andrew, St. Ann and St. Elizabeth.