NWC moves to disconnect delinquent customers in enforcement drive

The National Water Commission (NWC) has intensified enforcement measures against delinquent customers, with water supply disconnections now under way across several parishes in its Eastern Division.

The NWC says the action follows a five-month amnesty and a Customer Relief Programme offered throughout 2025, as well as extensive community engagement activities carried out during the first quarter of 2026.

According to the NWC, these efforts included house-to-house visits, community customer service days, weekly text message reminders, town crier announcements, public notices, and community meetings aimed at encouraging customers to settle outstanding balances or enter payment arrangements.

Despite these initiatives, the commission said several customers failed to take advantage of the relief options, prompting a shift to stricter enforcement.

The NWC has now moved into the next phase of its revenue collection strategy, which will include widespread disconnections, the issuance of demand letters, and legal action in court.

For the remainder of April, disconnection activities will focus on communities where prior engagements were completed.

These include areas in Clarendon such as York Town, Ballards Content, Four Paths and Milk River; sections of St Catherine, including Eltham Acres, Eltham View and Portmore; as well as communities in Kingston and St Andrew such as Rock Hall, Duhaney Park and Seaview.

Operations will also extend to parts of St Thomas, St Mary, Portland, and St Ann.

The NWC said it has exhausted all avenues of outreach and is now mobilising disconnection crews, noting that it has a responsibility to paying customers to collect outstanding revenue needed to maintain and upgrade water supply systems.

Customers are being reminded that their bill due date serves as notice that service is liable for disconnection if payment is not received.

The commission is urging residential and business customers with outstanding balances to visit the nearest NWC office to settle their accounts or enter into formal payment agreements.

While the NWC said it remains willing to work with customers facing genuine hardship, it stressed that continued non-payment will not be accommodated and warned that no further notice will be given before disconnection.

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