e-splash Vol. 3 Issue 1 April 2014
INSIDE THIS EDITION •
Port Antonio Water, Sewerage And Drainage Project Makes Steady Progress
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NWC Celebrates Three Environmental Days
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Projects at a Glance
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Improved Water Supply For Residents Of Thorton & Golden Valley In St. Thomas
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NWC Benefits From JICA Technical Assistance Programme
EDITORIAL TEAM Chief Editor Charles Buchanan Sub-Editor Karen Clacken Graphic Designers Wade Williams Contributing Editors/ Writers Julia Gordon Karen Williams Tanika Nelson Ann Bolt Teisha-Ann Pinnock Blondel Lawrence
NEW BOARD FOR NWC • Mrs. Marjorie Fyffe - Campbell Deputy Chairman • Mr. Gavin Goffe • Senator Wensworth Skeffery • Mr. Eugene Kelly • Mr. Hugh Graham • Mr. Paul Williams • Mr. Garfield Knight • Rev. Naggie Sterling
Effective Monday, April 14, 2014, the National Water Commission welcomed a new Board of Directors to oversee its operations. The Board, whose tenure is for a period of three years, was appointed by the Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change and is headed by new Chairman, Prakash Vaswani. Other members who will assist Mr. Vaswani to steer the Commission forward include:
Mr. Vaswani, who is no stranger to the Commission having served in that capacity from 1995 – 1998, challenged the members some of whom served on the previous Board - to perform their duties astutely as they continue to lead the utility to achieving its goals and objectives. The Management and staff of the National Water Commission welcome the new Board and stand ready to give their full support and cooperation to make for a smooth and seamless transition.
NWC Celebrates Three Environmental Days
Under the general theme, ‘Partnering for Sustainable Development’, three very important calendar events were observed by the National Water Commission and other affiliated agencies of the Ministry of Water, Land Environment and Climate Change over the weekend. International Day of Forests, World Water Day and World Meteorological Day were celebrated on March 21, 22 and 23 respectively. The days activities included an exhibition on the ‘grounds of Devon House, a lapathon in partnership with JCDT at the Mona Reservoir and a church service. In addition to the agencies’ participation, the exhibition facilitated almost 30 other exhibitors and stake-
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holders which are directly related to and provided support in the area of water and the environment. The exhibition was officially opened by portfolio Minister, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, MP, who expressed his pleasure with the cooperation of all participants and stakeholders involved. continues...
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Port Antonio Water, Sewerage And Drainage Project Makes Steady Progress
TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS
As part of the ongoing transformation of the NWC, a number of functions have been transferred to the Potable Water Systems Operations & Maintenance Divisions with effect from May 1, 2014. These functions that are directly managed by Assistant Vice President, Billy Meikle are:
Several months since construction of the much anticipated Port Antonio Water, Sewerage and Drainage Project began, the National Water Commission is reporting that the project is making steady progress despite some minor delays. This unique project which, incorporates not just improvements in water supply, nor just improvements in the town’s sewerage facilities, but comprehensive and simultaneous improvements in water supply, sewerage and drainage capacity, has had its completion deadline revised to December, 2014. Some of the delays encountered were due mainly to several days of rainy weather as well as other design modifications. Work on the overall project is approximately 50 per cent complete. The Port Antonio Water, Sewerage and Drainage Project is a long-awaited major development project aimed at significantly improving water supply
service as well as install new sewers for a proposed new sewerage network and reduce drainage issues by installing new drains throughout the town. It will not only improve services and convenience in the town but will also improve property values and development potentials. It will also protect the environment, support Port Antonio’s tourism and economy and protect public health. The Port Antonio Sewerage and Drainage Project is being executed by Vinci Construction Grands Projets and is made possible by funds provided by the IDB and the NWC’s K-Factor Programme. The K-Factor Programme is an OUR-approved facility, via which the NWC has been empowered to acquire and accumulate a pre-determined amount of funding for implementing an approved list of critical, capital projects, which improve service to customers.
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• Maintenance, • Civil and Facilities Maintenance • Transport and Equipment
Please give Mr. Meikle your cooperation and support as the NWC transforms to achieve its goals and objectives.
Police Officers from the Mobile pay keen attention to what Corporate Public Relations Manager, Charles Buchanan had to say about drought and conservation measures to mitigate the impact.
e-splash NWC Celebrates Three Environmental Days continues... As is customary the ceremony was attended by several other Ministers of Government, representatives of the diplomatic corps and of United Nations organization, including keynote speaker, Steve Ntifo, Divisional Director, Jacobs UK Ltd. In his address to the official opening, Minister Pickersgill pointed out that his portfolio responsibilities - Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change -impact on all persons, all sectors, all areas of life, the economy, economic and social development as well as the nation. “I have heard persons say that the term “Sustainable Development” is hackneyed. But it speaks to the balance that must be achieved between our economic development goals, and the conservation and preservation of our natural resources and our environment. In any equation, more of one input, will, of necessity, mean less of the other,” said the Minister. Based on the dwindling inflows into the dams and reservoirs, the Minister explained, that it will require a collaborative and inclusive approach to ensure the sustainability of water resources. The Minister continued to encourage every Jamaican to play his part and become more proactive in reducing our water footprint by conserving on the use of water and preserving fresh water sources. In his keynote address, Steve Ntifo, who spoke on Climate Change Resilient and Robust Green Economy - (highlighting the Water and Energy Nexus) - offered some thoughts about what green economy is and what a resilient climate change has meant to him and his views on how they may apply to this beautiful country of
Jamaica. According to Mr. Ntifo, “When managed and used properly, as it should be, we should have enough water. However, increasingly, in some areas, water is becoming scarce, due to the effects of climate change, population growth and distribution, pollution, improper land use and increasing demand for water. This is real and live in Kingston and Jamaica today.” He echoed similar sentiments to those of the Minister, when he stated, “We do indeed have water, and water is essential for our lives and the lives and health of our ecosystems. Sometimes we have too much of it when it rains, causing flooding and sometimes too little, causing drought. The impacts of Climate Change have demonstrated, to date, that these patterns are going to be commonplace. Therefore we Must Change. “Do Nothing” is not an option. The Minister in his closing remarks, reminded the audience that the country is experiencing drought conditions and that the National Water Commission is working assiduously to regulate the limited supplies and urged all Jamaicans to continue to conserve until the drought conditions break.
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NWC in Banbury
A joint team comprising the Community Relations Department, Commercial Operations and NonRevenue Water representatives recently held a meeting with residents of the Banbury community in St. Catherine. The meeting was held to discuss with residents, customer survey activities and pipeline replacement/extension works which are in progress in the community.
Harbour View Waste Water Treatment Plant
The second phase of the rehabilitation works at the Harbour View Waste Water Treatment Plant are progressing smoothly. The works which are being executed by Tankweld Special Projects are about 55% complete and involve the construction of reed beds, a trickling filter unit, ultra violet (UV) disinfection unit, and infiltration unit. The works which began in August 2013, are expected to be completed in July 2014.
e-splash Projects at a Glance In its continued effort to improve the water supply to its valued customers in the Corporate Area, the National Water Commission (NWC) signed a contract with Kier Infrastructure and Overseas Limited to undertake major rehabilitation work on some 26 water supply facilities within the Kingston and St. Andrew (KSA) Corporate Area. The 26 Facilities Project is part of the KMA Water Supply Improvement Programme funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)/Government of Jamaica (GOJ) and is among several projects being undertaken by the National Water Commission to provide improved water supply to more Jamaicans, in keeping with the Commission’s targets and the nation’s Vision 2030 goals. Work started since January of 2013 on many of these facilities, which have, over the years, lost their efficiency resulting in frequent down times. A lot of these facilities would have also outgrown their designed capacities as a result of the burgeoning population of the Kingston metropolitan region. Completion date of the project is middle of 2014. Facilities being upgraded under the Programme include Chancery Hall, Forest Hills, Hope Pastures, Gordon Town, White Marl, Ferry, Montgomery, Havendale, Ursa Major, Hydra Drive and Kirkland Heights. The rehabilitation of these facilities is at various stages of implementation. The works involve: a) The replacement of existing pumping equipment with new pumps and motors at well sources and relift pumping stations to satisfy the current and projected water demands for the water supply systems; b) The construction of new reservoirs and/or additional storage capacities at the Kirkland Heights, Brentwood, Sterling Castle, Havendale, Havenmeade and Ferry Hill Reservoirs; c) The upgrading of water supply transmission lines where these are found to be inadequate; d) The installation of new chlorination facilities including equipment, controls and safety equipment for water treatment; e) The replacement of existing electrical systems with new equipment, including the necessary electrical protection systems to reduce the likelihood of damage and disruption; f) Rehabilitation of various structures at some reservoir sites. Regrettably, while these necessary and positive improvements are being carried out, some customers will experience interruptions in their service, increased incidents of leaks as well as increased fluctuations in the water pressure and other unavoidable nuisances from time to time. The successful completion of the improvement of these 26 facilities will ensure a significantly improved, consistent and a more reliable water supply service to our valued customers.
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e-splash VolleyBall Winners
The NWC Volley Ball Team under the captaincy of Oneil Campbell (centre) were crowned champions of the Cool Runnings Water Joei de Vie Wellness Festival Volley Ball tournament where the team emerged winners over opponents JCF Credit Unit. The team which was featured in the Jamaica Observer were also recipients of a One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) prize which they donated to two charities of their choice, the Tarrant Baptist Basic School and United Way.
Open Days, Career Expo & Lecture Series
The National Water Commission continues in its commitment to public outreach and educational activities. The NWC, through its Community Relations Department recently participated in a series of Open Days, Career Expositions as well as a number of lecture series in several schools over the past months. The focus of these interventions is usually on the work of the Commission as it relates to the collection, treatment and distribution of water as well as drought and conservation tips.
IMPROVED WATER SUPPLY FOR RESIDENTS OF THORTON & GOLDEN VALLEY IN ST. THOMAS The communities of Thorton and Golden Valley in St. Thomas recently benefited from works which sought to improve the Golden Valley water supply system and extend the distribution network. The works were initially conducted by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) under a projected which was scoped to install a pumping unit and motor control centre, install storage tanks and lay approximately 3600m of 4�diameter ductile iron pipeline (with the accompanying laterals to customer homes) and repairs to the intake and entombment. The National Water Commission recently carried out additional works on the system since the completion of the JSIF project works. These activities included the procurement, replacement and installation of 1000feet of 4�pipeline on the transmission/distribution system, reconfiguring the connections at the storage tanks to ensure consistency and reliability of supply to
the service areas, installation of a level control system to ensure efficiency of pumping operations and modifications to the suction line to the pump in order for easy access and maintenance of the foot valve. In a meeting with residents in January of this year, community members expressed their appreciation for the improvement in service delivery and underscored their commitment to pay. The rehabilitated system will serve an estimated 364 households.
SIREP Continues to Reap Rewards In July 2012, the National Water Commission implemented the Socil Intervention & Revenue Enhancement Project (SIREP). The Project is 3-fold and is aimed at improving infrastructure in select inner-city communities (red areas), improving relations with customers in these areas and enhancing revenue collections.
the month doubled in comparison with the previous month!
The project which is a joint effort of Customer Service Delivery, Revenue Recovery, Community Relations and Operations departments started with a pilot exercise in the Nannyville Gardens community. The Commission continues to follow through with project activities in that community as well as in Monaltrie and Seaview Gardens. As at October 2013, reports indicated marked improvement in collections, particularly in the Seaview Gardens community where revenue for
Other communities that have been earmarked for the SIREP include Tivoli Gardens, 88-100 Spanish Town Road, 231 Spanish Town Road, Colleen Court and Denham Town in St. Andrew and Providence Heights and Norwood in St. James. With continued monitoring and internal support, the Revenue Recovery team is of the view that this project will reap the kinds of rewards that will boost the collections and operations of the NWC in these communities.
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While revenue operations will be sustained in Nannyville Gardens, project activities have officially closed out with a donation of several gallons of paints presented to the Basic School.
e-splash Vox Pop If you could work in a different department, which one would it be and why? St. James Employee name: Jermaine Russell Position: Accounting Clerk Response: I would love to work in the engineering department to get a look and feel of how NWC projects are managed and executed. Being in accounts does not allow me to get a full understanding of how plants operate. Travelling would be nice too.
St. Ann Employee: Dexter Campbell Position: Customer Care Officer I would like to work in the water supply and distribution dept. because of the urge to try something new. It’s good to be rounded; it makes you more aware and informed.
St. Elizabeth Employee: Sandra Bookal-Walters Position: Customer Care Officer The greatest asset of any organisation is its Human Resource Department; therefore if I were given an opportunity to work in a different area it would be that department. I would implement strategies that would motivate the staff because when staff morale is low it affects productivity in a negative way; N.W.C. will not be able to realize its goals and objectives. Three strategies that I would bring to the fore are: • Have regional half yearly consultation and bi-monthly staff meetings to inform the staff and allow them to feel like they are a part of the organization • Arrange training and development sessions for the staff because when they are trained they will be efficient which would cause the organization to have a reduction in expenses and also to create a better image in the eye of the public. • Have regional, yearly social for both management and ordinary staff which would bring back unity, togetherness and a sense of belonging in the organization.
Trelawny Employee: Catherine Maxfield Position: Clerical Officer Response: I would want to work in the Technical Services Department because some of what I have learnt doing my degree programme are similar and can be applied in that department. Hanover Michael Sanford Position - Plumber I would choose to work either as a Field Officer or an Operator so that I can further my education. Eric Waisome Position- Acting Master Craftsman I would choose to work in Mobile Department as it would give me opportunity to gain a new experience, and going up in age I would need something that is less hectic. Elvis Spence Position-Plumber I would choose Revenue Department Why- Because that is the department responsible for bringing the money into the company, so that the company can be better able to meet its obligations and take care of its employees. Manchester Employee: Kirk Brown Position: Customer Care Officer Currently acting as Commercial Analyst. I would want to work in MIS because Information Technology is my area of study and it would be good to utilize my knowledge and skills. The Business Support Unit also because I’ve worked in Customer Service Department for many years and would love to also utilize my skills especially in making our business processes and procedures and the way we do business more efficient and more up-to-date with new technologies.
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e-splash Mrs. Rochelle Campbell-Palmer
Rochelle during surveying practical exercise at UTECH
Mrs. Rochelle Campbell-Palmer joined the workforce of the NWC in 2006 as a temporary Clerical Officer at the Spanish Town Office for 2 months. Occasionally, she was called to fill similar positions on a temporary basis in Customer Service and Water Production in St. Catherine. In 2009 she was nominated to assist the GIS Unit with the GPS mapping of the potable water facilities in that parish. She
was trained to use the receiver Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and Geographic Information System (GIS) software. Her performance was exceptional on this project and she was brought on as a member of the GIS team. Rochelle decided to pursue a career in this field. In September 2011, she registered as a part time student at the University of Technology in the Faculty of the Built Environment to pursue an Associate Degree in Surveying and Geographic Information Technology (SGIT). She has been a model student and is highly respected by her peers and lecturers alike. She is actively involved in the Land Surveyor’s Club and is the Religious Coordinator. Her academic performance has been exemplary. Mrs. Campbell-Palmer has received several awards at UTECH for her academic performance including Best Academic Performance at the Associate Degree Level (SGIT), Outstanding Academic Achievement (SGIT) and
the Dean’s List Award for Outstanding Academic Performance. She has been advanced to the Bachelor of Sciences programme for the school year beginning September 2014. She will no doubt enjoy similar success at this level.
Rochelle receiving Dean’s List Award from the Dean of Faculty, Dr. Carol Archer
NWC Benefits From JICA Technical Assistance Programme. At the Mid Term Review of the project in March 14, 2014 at the PIOJ, the PIOJ congratulated the NWC on the innovation of the assignment and assistance it will also provide to National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and National Works Agency (NWA). JICA’s Resident Representative, Mr. Masami Shukunobe commended the NWC for its use of the Technical Assistance Programme to enhance its The National Water Commission service delivery. (NWC) was a recent beneficiary of a Mr. Lewis Lakeman, NWC AVP, Government of Jamaica/Japan Inter- Training sessions were also held with highlighted JICA’s excellent relations national Corporation Agency (JICA) a wide cross section of NWC person- with the NWC since 1988 through the Technical Assistance Programme nel, exposing them to the various various Official Development AssisNWC Pipeline being administered through the Plan- suite of software applications whichInstallation tance Grants/Loans and Technical ning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ). were utilized in the development of Cooperation Programmes from which the model. the Commission has benefited. Mr. Akira Higuchi – Wastewater Expert, was assigned to the Planning & Special Projects Department of the NWC for one (1) year during which he worked closely with several departments to develop a simulation/ model of the Kingston Sewerage system. His assignment was the first of its kind to be done for this system and will greatly assist the NWC with training, public education, operations and maintenance of its wastewater systems in KSA.
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e-splash SAFTEY MATTERS
Safety Guidelines for Working in Excavations
As an entity whose operations include the excavation of deep trenches to lay pipelines, the NWC’s Safety and Occupational Health Department uses this medium to highlight some of the safety features involved. Accidents are real and are costly to any organization. Below are some of the costs associated with accidents.
DIRECT COSTS
INDIRECT COSTS
DIRECT COSTS • Medical • Insurance • Lost Time • Fines INDIRECT COSTS • Injured - Lost Time Wages • Non-Injured - Lost Time • Wages • Overtime • Supervisor Wages • Employee Morale • Need For Counseling • Turn-over • Equipment Rental • Cancelled Contracts • Lost Orders • Equipment/Material Damage • Investigation Team Time • Decreased Production • Light Duty • New Hire Learning Time • Administrative Time • Community Goodwill • Public/Customer Perception • 3rd Party Lawsuits
Fatal Facts of Excavation Imagine an employee was installing a small diameter pipe in a trench 3 feet wide, 12-15 feet deep and 90 feel long. The trench was not sloped or shored nor was there a box or shield to protect the employee. Further, there was evidence of a previous cave-in. The employee apparently re-entered the trench, and a second cave-in occurred, burying him. He was found face down in the bottom of the trench.
Means of Egress from Trench Excavation A ladder, stairway, ramp or other safe means of egress shall be located in trench excavations that are 4 feet or more in depth so as to require no more than 25 ft lateral travel for employees. Protection of Employees in Excavations Each employee in an excavation shall be protected from cave-ins by an adequate protective system such as Sloping and Benching; or support systems, shield systems, and other protective systems. Except when: (i) excavations are made in solid rock; or (ii) excavations are less than 5 feet in depth and examination of the ground by a competent person provides no indication of potential cave-in. Hazards Associated with Water Accumulation Employees shall not work in excavations in which there is accumulated water, or in excavations in which water is accumulating, unless adequate precautions have been taken to protect employees against the hazards posed by water accumulation. The precautions necessary to protect employees adequately vary with each situation, but could include special support or shield systems to protect from
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cave-ins, water removal to control the level of accumulating water, or use of other suitable means. Stability of Adjacent Structures Where the stability of adjoining buildings, walls or other structures is endangered by excavation operations, support systems such as shoring, bracing, or underpinning shall be provided to ensure the stability of such structures for the protection of employees. Excavation below the level of the base or footing of any foundation or retaining wall that could reasonably be expected to pose a hazard to employees shall not be permitted except when: a support system is provided, the excavation is in stable rock or a professional engineer has approved the determination that such excavation work will not pose a hazard to employees. Sidewalks, pavements and appurtenant structures shall not be undermined unless a support system or another method of protection is provided to protect employees from the possible collapse of such structures.