Media Release – OUR Calls for better Coordination and Long-Term Planning for Water Sector

The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) is calling for stronger coordination, long-term planning and accountable investment across Jamaica’s water sector, saying these measures are critical to improving service delivery and strengthening resilience in the face of increasing climate and operational challenges.

The call came from the OUR’s public education webinar, Jamaica’s Water Sector at a Crossroads: Regulation, Resilience and the Road Ahead, on 2026 September 30. This discussion saw representatives from the OUR, the National Water Commission (NWC) and the Water Resources Authority (WRA) examining key issues affecting the sector, including infrastructure investment, drought response, non-revenue water reduction, water security, climate variability and regulatory reform.

OUR Director of Regulation, Policy, Monitoring and Enforcement, Duane Rowe, said Jamaica must strengthen the links between planning, financing and customer outcomes to achieve meaningful improvements in water service delivery. He said while adjustment measures are in place to address the current situation in the short-term, there is also a need to establish the long-term arrangements required for effective operation of the sector.

“Jamaica has established sector governance framework, institutions and instruments, but service remains uneven. We need to connect planning and financing more closely to what customers experience at the tap and on their bills,” he said.

He also underscored the need for…

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