5,855 housing projects denied NWC approval over past 20 years

MORE than 5,800 proposed real estate developments, representing 35 per cent of applications reviewed over the past two decades, have failed to secure National Water Commission (NWC) endorsement, highlighting a costly obstacle for builders who may have to find and finance their own water supply before bringing projects to market.

Figures presented by the NWC at a Jamaica Developers Association (JDA) webinar on Thursday show that of the 16,535 applications NWC processed between 2006 and 2026, a total of 5,855 development applications were not endorsed, compared with 7,814 that received the utility company’s approval.

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A lack of endorsement, however, does not necessarily mean a project has been rejected or abandoned. Where the NWC indicates that it cannot adequately serve a proposed development — whether because of insufficient water supply, limited pipeline capacity, or the absence of a distribution network in the area — the developer typically explores other options.