Windy but Dry: Decades of Ongoing Water Woes Continue in Breezy Hill

Residents of Breezy Hill in Manchester still yearn for water in their homes after living without a running water supply. Although other communities in neighboring districts have intermittent issues with the water

supply, this community is one that has been affected mostly as residents have lived without water supply for over two decades.

Manchester, one of Jamaica’s parishes, is notable for its frequent rains. Yet several residents in Breezy Hill have expressed their dissatisfaction with having no water, which has been the norm throughout the years.

Residents say they experienced the most anguish during the COVID-19 as there was an increased need for water and during lockdowns when employment was scarce they had no way of purchasing this common commodity.

Residents are pleading to the Member of parliament MP Rhoda Crawford, that this is an urgent matter that demands immediate attention.

Senior resident, Peter Duncan, shared his discontent with the unavailability of this natural resource.

“I hate the fact that practically nothing has been done to fix this terrible issue. I have lived without main pipe water for the past twenty years and I have to either bring water with my borrow or buy it!

Can you imagine how much I’ve spent!” he said.

Duncan said he has reached out several times of both the national water commission and the members of parliament over the year but he was informed that the community is on a list and that water will get there soon.

“I’m very disappointed, I’ve done a lot to try and see if water could come to Breezy Hill and every time they shut me down,” he said

Another resident,, in the community, Janissa Edwards said she moved to the community over 10 years ago and her belief is that politics has played a major role in the community’s absence of water supply for so many years.

“The truth is, the last MP didn’t want to help us because them say it’s a JLP area. Yes indeed most of us around here are [LPs but that doesn’t mean they should prevent us from having water in our yards,” she said. “I’m so glad Rhoda [won] cause at least now we have hope,” she said.

Residents say they are very appreciative when it rains because this is the time when they get to fill drums and tanks from their homemade gutters. Some complained that this was the life their parents and grandparents lived but they do not want this to be the fate of their children.

Rasheedia Stultz said she grew up in the community. She is now 24 years old and there has never been a main water supply but sometimes the members of parliament (MP) distribute water.

“Every now and again the MP sponsors the community with a truck of water but that can’t be shared for all of us so some people don’t normally get any,” she said.

Stultz further explained that she is thinking about relocating because she cannot afford the weekly cost for water.

“We have our families and we have to take matters in our own hands and buy our weekly supply from the NWG.This costs two-thousand five hundred dollars, so it’s expensive cause that’s at least ten-thousand dollars every month,” she said.

Peter Bunting was the Member of Parliament (MP) for this area for over thirteen years,from 2007 to 2020. His office was contacted on several occasions. After many failed attempts to get an interview, an employee of his answered, the employee refused to give a name replied “No comments”

Attempts were also made to contact the National Water Commission (NWC) but efforts to speak with Community Relations Officer, Blonde Lawrence, has proven futile.

The current MP for this constituency is Rhoda Moy Crawford, who defeated Bunting in the 2020 General elections. Rhoda Moy Crawford’s office was contacted however efforts to get a comment from Member of Parliament for Manchester central were unsuccessful as calls ,messages to her phone and emails were unanswered.