Water Shortage at MICO - How I'm dealing with the Water Shortage in Kingston

Yes, folks, in case you haven't noticed, I'm back at MICO University College doing my Third Semester of my Professional Diploma in Teaching. As always the new First year students are looking really fine, albeit many seem a little...height challenged as I've noticed many times in the MICO University Library.  

Still, when girls are in my eyes, the glare of their awesome beauty is thankfully blocked out by my glasses. Being as I'm also a blogger, Computer Repair Technician with CCTV Camera installation skills, Online Marketing expert as well as Telecoms Consultant, I thought I'd like to show you my Advertisement.

If you haven't seen my ad, that's ok. I'll soon start advertising on the Campus once again as soon as I've gotten my courses in order. 

Right now it's a mess, but I'm getting there. I've also purchased a 14 megapixel Canon Camera so folks, expect to see some more personal pictures on my blog in the next few months!!

MICO University and Drought - Being on Campus is like walking across a mini Sahara Desert

Business is usually slow this time of year, but clients are slowly trickling in as Christmas approaches.

But one perennial problem that's beginning to bother me is the lack of running water, thanks to this ongoing drought in Jamaica that affecting everyone, especially farmers as reported in the article “Farmers Introduced To Innovative Way Of Beating The Drought”, published Friday August 21, 2015 by Shanna Monteith, The Jamaica Gleaner.

MICO University College has now turned into a mini desert. Virtually every female and the sprinkling of males are carrying a water bottle and they all look parched like the girl in the Lasco iCool Commercial that's super controversial.

So far some good has come out of all of this, as it's forced Jamaicans to consider how they actually use and waste this precious commodity.

Work in now advanced on a new Water Policy to address the use of Water resources now that Global Warming is clearly a reality as pointed out in the article “Jamaica Accelerates Work On New Water Policy”, Published Tuesday September 1, 2015 by Petre Williams-Raynor, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

So what will this new Water Policy Entail?

Jamaicans now investing in Personal Water Tanks – Independence from NWC Needed

It's also made many Jamaicans realize that they need to invest in personal Water Storage Tanks, as depending on the Government to supply them with regular Water isn't a good idea.

Schools are now getting hip to the idea of having a Water Storage Tank, with the Ministry of Education purchasing some two hundred (200) Water tanks to be installed at schools affected by the Water shortage as reported in “200 Water tanks for schools”, published Friday, September 04, 2015, The Jamaica Observer and “Education Ministry Wants To Expand Water Harvesting In Schools”, Published Friday September 4, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Especially as the Water that may be supplied to them may be coming from unscrupulous contractors taking Water from rivers and culverts and sometimes repurposing old trucks that usually carry chemicals to carry Water as reported in the article “Water Truck Operators To Be Regulated, Ministry Drafting Legislation”, published Tuesday September 8, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Look on this developement as the equivalent of what happening in Solar Power; as more Jamaicans switch to having their own solar power system, they reap the benefits of independence from the Power Utility.

A similar revolution is needed as it relates to the Development of a Personal Water Storage System separate and apart from the NWC (National Water Commission).

These systems can purify Waste Water and convert it to drinking Water in much the same way activated Charcoal filters work as explained in my blog article entitled “Going back to Mother Earth - How to Reuse the Brita Water Filter in your Brita Water Purification Pitcher without buying more Filters”.

Expect to start hearing about such systems by the start of 2016, when the Drought will undoubtedly continue as 2015 is going down as another record year for high temperatures like 2014 as reported in my blog article entitled “JMA, @NASA and @NOAA say 2014 Hottest Year on Record - How Wageningen University revealed Humans causing Climate Change”. 

Jamaica, Land of Wood and Water - RainWater harvesting and Recycling Waste Water as Election drawn Nigh

Jamaica, despite being the land of wood and Water, is now wakening to the fact that we live on a small island with limited Potable Water resources. 

Water resources, as many might think of RainWater harvesting as the way to go, as argued by GOJ (Government of Jamaica) backbencher and MP (Member of Parliament) Richard Parchment as reported in the article “Parchment Calls For Single Water Authority”, published Friday September 18, 2015 by Daraine Luton, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

They are very keen on finding a solution to the Water woes, as albeit we’ve been lucky to not have an outbreak of the Zika Virus, a drought can also spell doom during the General and Local Government Elections as argued in the article “Blame The NWC If You Lose This Election, Madam PM”, published Saturday September 19, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

But of greatest interest to begin considered while drafting a New Water Policy is the idea of recycling Waste Water as reported in “Climate Change And Water: WasteWater Advanced As One Response To Jamaica’s Water Worries”, published Wednesday August 26, 2015 by Petre Williams-Raynor, The Jamaica Gleaner.  

This has been long touted as a way to alleviate Jamaica's Water shortage problems. Not only is it recycling Waste Water but it can also helps the Agriculture Industry, especially as the technology of making sewage Water safe for plants and animals has been proven. Making it potable merely requires re-processing of the Water to make it suitable for human consumption.

Our current Water systems are based on the treatment of River Water, which is often contaminated with fecal waste. So making the jump to using treated sewage Water that's converted to potable Water is the next big step.

We just have to get over that psychological bridge that seems to suggest that sewage Water converted to potable Water is somehow worse or unhealthier than treated River Water from a catchment, as both are really the same thing, with one just having a prettier image in the public’s eye.

Adjusting to Water shortage - Work in Progress as Christmas Exams draw nigh

For me, it's been quite an adjustment, having to use less Water.

Yesterday I almost had a total meltdown as I realized how bad the Water situation is, really in Kingston. In Milk River, Clarendon, where I’m from, we don't have Water lock offs in the night, mainly in the daytime and we don't have a whole day without Water.

Still it's work in progress. I've adjusted by changing my Water usage, washing dishes out of a close container instead of running the Water like Dunn's River falls. And I've also taken shorter showers, mostly out of my yellow bath pan.

I’ve also gotten a very large container of Water from a neighbor in the Swallowfield community to keep personal Water stored in the Kitchen in my cupboard. Finally, later in October, I plan to get a personal Water bottle to carry my own Water to MICO University College.

I wished the apartment I'm staying in had a system like the space Age Orbital System Shower of the Future that actually purifies and recycles your bathWater as you bathe as explained in my MICO Wars blog article entitled “Orbital Systems Shower of the Future is a Water Recycler for your Favourite Martian”.

Hopefully, by Christmas and Exam time, I’d have been seasoned in to the Water woes in Kingston to either not mind or just simply get a really large container to hold Water.