Jamaica's NEPA Says Water at Rio Cobre River Back to Normal

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) Monday said the Rio Cobre river, river whose source is in the Rose Hall Mountain in the north-east of the St. Catherine parish, has returned to its ambient condition following its contamination last week.

“NEPA’s initial investigation into the pollution indicated that the source of the contamination may be due to an alkaline substance. The team also observed that the water was cloudy and gave off a pungent odor,” NEPA said in a statement.

The contamination is reported to have led to a fish kill in the area due to caustic chemical in the river and NEPA said after conducting a post-incident assessment of the river last Wednesday, samples taken along the affected areas recorded pH values ranging from 7.3 to 8.1, which is within background levels of 7.18 to 8.71.

It said also it is currently concluding its investigation into the source of the pollution.

Last week, the lobby group Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) raised concerns about the latest incident, noting that the river is a critical water source for at least 150,000 people in the capital, Kingston and St Andrew and supports domestic, agricultural, and recreational use, as well as local fisheries.

It said the recurring environmental disaster raises serious questions about the effectiveness of pollution prevention measures and accountability for those responsible.