Water supply and sanitation in Jamaica

Water supply and sanitation in Jamaica

The flag of Jamaica
Data
Water coverage (broad definition)	93%
Sanitation coverage (broad definition)	81%
Share of household metering	66%[1]
Share of self-financing by utilities	Zero
Institutions
Decentralization to municipalities	No
National water and sanitation company	Yes
Water and sanitation regulator	Yes (multi-sector)
Responsibility for policy setting	Ministry of Water and Housing
No. of urban service providers	1 large, 3 small

Water supply and sanitation in Jamaica is characterized by high levels of access to an improved water source, while access to adequate sanitation stands at only 80%. This situation affects especially the poor, including the urban poor many of which live in the country's over 595 unplanned squatter settlements in unhealthy and unsanitary environments with a high risk of waterborne disease. Despite a number of policy papers that were mainly focused on water supply and despite various projects funded by external donors, increases in access have remained limited (1% for water and 5% for sanitation between 1990 and 2004).

The responsibility for water and sanitation policies within the government rests with the Ministry of Water and Housing, and the main service provider is the National Water Commission. An autonomous regulatory agency, the Office of Utilities Regulation, approves tariffs and establishes targets for efficiency increases.