Beneficiaries of JN Water project cite savings, longer showers

Staci Ann Williams, a resident of Portsmouth in Portmore, St Catherine was constantly faced with high water bills; however, today she is happy that the bill is moving in a positive direction, after she installed a high-efficiency shower head received from JN Bank under JN’s Water Project.

Williams, who lives with her extended family of 11, said that her family’s water bill was usually $15,000 to $16,000 monthly. However, with the installation of the device about three months ago, the bill has come down by approximately $2,000 per month.

“I received the kit from the Water Project team back in February, which included a high-efficiency shower head and a device for the face basin pipe, as well as the kitchen sink. I only installed the shower head and it works,” she shared.

“Imagine if I had installed the other two devices! The impact on my bill would have been far more positive,” she related.

Williams said that she is now in the process of getting her plumber to install the other two devices.

Similarly, Clinton Gordon, a resident of Berkshire Court in Spanish Town, St Catherine is now enjoying longer showers without the worry that his water bill will skyrocket. This, after he installed the high-efficiency shower head under the Water Project.

“We live in an area where the water pressure is usually low, but since I have installed the shower head, the pressure seems higher and I actually feel that I have taken a good shower; and no longer need to worry that the water bill will be high,” he said.

Gordon said the device was installed seven months ago, and that he has seen a reduction in his monthly bill.

“My water consumption meter was at five in January when the device was installed. It has now been reduced to three, resulting in a moderate reduction in my water bill,” he explained.

Gordon said he has shared the news with his family, neighbours and friends. “I told everyone. It is something I think more persons should consider exploring,” he said.

For Monique King, who lives with two siblings, washing dishes has become fun, and there is no hassle in getting her siblings to perform the chore.

“The dishes are being washed as my brothers now like to use the kitchen pipe, as there is a gentle spray, which feels good on their hands,” she said.

King, a resident of Havendale in Kingston, said that she installed both the high-efficiency shower head and the device for the kitchen sink. She is now saving about $2,000 per month when compared to her previous water bill.

“My landlord has shown interest in the devices and he plans to encourage his other tenants to use them to decrease their water consumption and in turn their water bills,” she related.

The water-efficiency devices were contributed to Gordon, Williams and King by the JN Water Project in an effort to encourage more people to practise water conservation by installing efficient devices at home.

Onyka Barrett Scott, acting general manager of JN Foundation, is impressed with the testimonials and noted that the organisation partnered with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) to seek meaningful solutions to water conservation through the four-year project which seeks to help Jamaicans adapt to climate change and to implement measures that will result in more efficient and cost saving use of water.

“The results from the installation of the devices are testament that, if we make a conscious effort to be conservative, we can reap positive results,” she said.

Over time, the JN Water Project will provide other members of the public with water-efficiency kits as a part of its awareness and visibility efforts. The bank will also roll out a specially designed loan that Jamaican householders and developers can access to install several water-efficiency devices including low flush toilets, energy saving washing machines, dishwashers and rain water harvesting systems.

The bank’s guide to water use efficiency can be accessed at http://www.waterprojectja.com/resources/

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