NWC blames business place for Portland stink

The National Water Commission (NWC) says it is not to be blamed for the overflow of sewage on Harbour Street in Port Antonio, Portland, that affected the operations of some businesses along that strip and forced the police to redirect vehicular traffic to Blake Street.

The NWC said that the blockage in the utility's sewer network was due to improper disposal of waste.

"This was caused by grease entering the network from an existing customer. The source of this was oils and fats," the NWC said.

This blockage was cleared by the NWC's wastewater team, and the affected areas cleaned and disinfected.

According to the utility provider, the incident is "a timely reminder that under no circumstances should grease or oil be allowed to enter the sewer network in accordance with the stipulated conditions of services in the agreement between our customers and ourselves".

The NWC said that it has consistently encouraged citizens to desist from carrying out various activities that overload and clog the utility's sewerage infrastructure. Some of these actions include: channelling excess storm water in manholes, which don't have the capacity to deal with the additional load; flushing non-biodegradable items such as sanitary napkins and cigarettes; and causing too much grease to enter sinks and sewers.