By Michael Spence
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| Michael Spence |
For the Mona Reservoir / Dam in Kingston, there is no single, recent public figure for “how much silt is in it right now.” The National Water Commission (NWC) only reports total water volume, which includes silt. That can be misleading.
1. Current Water Capacity
- According to the last NWC reading on July 14, 2026:
- Total Capacity: 808.5 million gallons / 3,675 megalitres
- Current Storage: 611.8 million gallons = 75.7% full
- Earlier this month, it was reported at 62%.
2. The Silt Problem
When Mona Reservoir was built in 1944, it was designed to hold 809 million gallons, water and silt combined.
It was desilted once, between 1974 and 1976. Officials said that should last 30 years. It’s now 50 years later. Heavy rains since then have washed more mud back in.
Experts estimate silt could now account for 60% or more of Mona’s 808.5 MG capacity. That would leave only about 485 MG of usable water even at “full” capacity.
The more widely discussed silt crisis is at Hermitage Dam. Officials have said Hermitage is “heavily silted.” Even when it reads 100% full, usable water is only about 40% because of silt buildup. The NWC should begin preparatory work for desilting Hermitage.
For Mona, officials have acknowledged that catchment facilities serving the Corporate Area have “capacities undermined by heavy silting.” But they have not published a specific % silt figure for Mona in recent reports.
Bottom Line
The NWC tracks Mona by % full, but that number includes silt, mud, and dirt. Do the math: 75.7% full in mid-July 2026 = 611.8 MG. If 60% of the total capacity is silt, then only 363 MG of that is usable water.
Silt has definitely reduced Mona’s usable volume since 1944. It was bad enough to require desilting in the 1970s. Today, the exact amount of silt accumulated is not being reported.
This is the damn dam problem: decades of accumulated silt cut into the amount of usable water available from both Mona and Hermitage.
Action is needed and soon to address this damn dam crisis.
Michael Spence
Michael Spence is a graduate of Cornwall College and the University of the West Indies. He is a trained teacher, a sociologist, and a writer for Bark Di Trute.
Micspen2@hotmail.com
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This Damn Dam crisis is a serious one that needs serious business like attention.
ReplyDeleteI was not aware of this damn Dam thing.
One big cover up it seems.
How often should a.dam.be desilted in Jamaica to even have a 95% usable water capacity at all times.
ReplyDeleteIf the Mona or Hermitage Dams were like that maybe water lock offs would not be so early if at all.
I wonder if the Ministers are aware of these Dam silting phenomena.
This Dam thing is a horror.story.
ReplyDelete