NWC found nearly 100 illegal connections in one community

The problem of illegal connections continues to be an albatross to the National water Commission (NWC) as they found almost 100 illegal connections in one community in rural Jamaica earlier this month.

Corporate public relations manager at the NWC, Charles Buchanan, told THE WEEKEND STAR that the commission raided Cornwall Court in St James and found 96 illegal connections.

"We also found about nine bridge connections. That is where people have a legal connection but also have an illegal connection at the same time," Buchanan said. "By keeping the legal connection, they try to misdirect attention so they give the impression that everything here should be okay because there is a legal connection in place."

Buchanan also said that the commission has also discovered a number of illegal connections in several communities in St Elizabeth.

He said that informal settlements tend to have many illegal connections.

"The frequency of water theft tends to also increase in areas that people are stealing other things and didn't purchase the land which they live on," Buchanan said.

According to Buchanan, the NWC has put in place a number of measures aimed at identifying illegal connections.

"So we have been trying to encourage persons to pay for the service that they receive as well as taking many different steps aimed at reducing delinquency, as well as identifying, removing and prosecuting illegal connections," Buchanan explained.