KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – The National Water Commission (NWC) has announced a series of measures to preserve its dwindling supplies brought on by a prolonged dry spell affecting sections of Jamaica.

The NWC said the decision to ration water in some areas was part of its “ongoing water-management measures to combat the prevailing drought conditions affecting a number of water supply systems mainly in the southern parishes of the island."

It added that supplies in the Corporate Area have also been impacted by the long run of below normal rainfall.

The company, in a weekend release, announced a new schedule of lock-offs for customers in some areas, while others have been advised that they will have to make do with low water pressure.

“Depending on their location, elevation, distribution and the customer demand in a particular area, some customers will experience no-water conditions or low water pressure even during the hours that the water facilities are putting out all the water they have available,” the NWC statement said.

Residents in some southern parishes have been complaining about the scarcity of pipe-borne water, with officials warning that the situation would not be resolved immediately.

A number of Caribbean countries have been experiencing prolonged dry spells. Among them is Trinidad and Tobago, where officials of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) warned residents that they could be fined for breaches of a rationing plan that it implemented last week.

It banned “using hose pipes, washing vehicles, watering lawns, etc.