Rio Cobre fish kill impacts water supply to some St Catherine communities
Published:Sunday | March 16, 2025 | 11:18 AM
The National Water Commission (NWC) is advising its customers in Spanish Town and surrounding areas in St Catherine to expect low water pressure or intermittent supply due to the suspected Rio Cobre fish kill incident currently under investigation.
The NWC says it has taken preventative action to suspend raw water inflows from the Rio Cobre river source into the Spanish Town Treatment Facility. However, it says the facility remains operational, utilising its stored reserves and augmenting with supplies from the Eastern Headworks Wells.
The NWC's Regional Manager for St Catherine and Clarendon, Garwaine Johnson, says the NWC is closely monitoring the quality levels of the raw water intake as it awaits further updates from the relevant authorities.
The following areas may experience low water pressure or intermittent supply:
Spanish Town, Westmore, Hampton Green, Lakemore Gardens, Newton Avenue, Nugent Street, McCoy Land, Mayfair Mews, Brunswick Avenue, Job Lane, White Water Meadows, Hartlands, McCooks Pen, Leiba Gdns, Sydenham Gardens, Wedge Wood Gardens.
Additional areas include:
Willowdene Housing Scheme, Hopedale Housing Scheme, Old Harbour main road, Horizon Park, Sydenham Villa, Cromarty Grove Housing Scheme, Valdez Road, Homestead, Lucky Glades, Cross Road, Phoenix, Innswood Garden, Seville # 2 Housing Scheme, Salt Pond Housing Scheme and Dunbeholden Housing Scheme.
The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) said it was alerted to a fish kill along a section of the Rio Cobre in St Catherine about 6:45 a.m. Saturday.
It said initial observations indicate that the cause may be associated with a caustic chemical.
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