ST JAMES, Jamaica — In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, Westmoreland’s health authorities have escalated public health advisories concerning water safety. Dr. Marcia Graham, the parish’s Medical Officer of Health, has issued a critical directive for residents to consider all non-bottled water as potentially hazardous for consumption.
Addressing the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation at a recent monthly assembly, Dr. Graham highlighted the severe degradation of local infrastructure and the unpredictable quality of water supplies, which have collectively elevated the threat of waterborne diseases. She emphasized that the current water conditions fall below safety standards, necessitating extreme caution. “We must treat all water sources as unsafe unless it is sealed bottled water that remains unopened,” she stated.
The health expert detailed several approved purification techniques, identifying vigorous boiling as a paramount method. She instructed, “Achieve a rolling boil and maintain it for at least one full minute to ensure the water becomes safe for human use.” Additionally, Dr. Graham endorsed the application of bleach or chlorine tablets, underlining the necessity of precise measurement and a mandatory thirty-minute settling period for the chemicals to effectively neutralize pathogens.
Beyond contaminated water risks, Dr. Graham raised alarms over a surge in leptospirosis exposure, a bacterial infection exacerbated by displaced wildlife and polluted water bodies. She cautioned that even minimal contact through small cuts or abrasions could lead to severe systemic illness. “Exposure to tainted water can rapidly result in renal failure, liver dysfunction, and other life-threatening conditions,” she warned, noting the parish has already documented fatal outcomes connected to post-hurricane diseases.