NWC says MoBay wastewater facility repairs to be completed by Monday

The National Water Commission says work to fully restore the electrical system at a wastewater facility in Montego Bay, St James, is expected to be completed by Monday. It follows an overflow this week that affected nearby areas, including a high school.

“Work to fully re-electrify the Orange Street facility is well advanced and is expected to be completed on or before Monday, January 26, 2026, at which time normal operations will be fully restored,” the entity said in a statement on Saturday.

The commission also said it has been maintaining communication with the administration of Mt Alvernia High School, and will carry out clean-up and disinfection activities at all affected sites as part of its follow-up response.

It said heavy wastewater inflows during a generator shutdown overwhelmed the facility, triggering the overflow.

The NWC explained that the facility recently sustained electrical damage, which required “critical rewiring works and subsequent re-certification to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the plant”.

During the repair period, the commission said wastewater pumping operations were maintained using the facility’s onsite standby generator.

However, the NWC explained that standard generator operations require periodic shutdowns to allow for refuelling and cooling, and that one such shutdown coincided with heavy wastewater inflows.

“During one such shutdown period, heavy wastewater inflows overwhelmed the system, resulting in an overflow that affected the surrounding area,” the commission said.

It added: "It is worth noting that the generator cool-down and refuelling period was deliberately scheduled for the overnight hours, when customer wastewater discharge is typically at significantly reduced levels."

Despite those precautions, the commission said wastewater flows can be unpredictable, and in this instance contributed to the overflow.

“Once this matter came to attention our wastewater maintenance and response teams were mobilised to carry out immediate assessments and implement operational adjustments aimed at reducing the risk of any recurrence,” the commission said.

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