Jamaica Reservoir Transparency

Quality dimensions for the COVERED subset are therefore 0 by definition. Original notes preserved below: The NWC publishes current storage levels for Mona Reservoir and Hermitage Dam on a public webpage (reservoir.php), showing both volume in million gallons and percentage of capacity. As of May 27, 2026, readings were 763 MG (94.4%) and 360 MG (91.5%) respectively. The data is openly accessible without registration. However, only two reservoirs are covered, no machine-readable format is offered, and no historical archive is accessible on the site.

Quality dimensions for the COVERED subset are therefore 0 by definition. Original notes preserved below: Data is presented as a static HTML page with no API, no downloadable file (CSV, JSON, Excel), and no machine-readable endpoint. Access requires browser rendering and manual reading of two figures. The data.gov.jm open data portal exists but contains no NWC reservoir dataset. The WRA Water Information System (wra.gov.jm/webmap) requires contacting the agency by email for dataset access, imposing a de-facto registration barrier.

Capacity-weighted (v1.3.0): 5.5/5.5 Mm³ = 100% (Mona + Hermitage reservoirs; NWC publishes weekly storage updates for both impoundments, full denominator covered). Prior justification (preserved for context): Methodology denominator counts reservoirs with capacity >10 hm³. Jamaica has zero qualifying reservoirs: Mona (~3.67 Mm³) and Hermitage (~1.78 Mm³) — the two NWC-monitored facilities — are both well below the 10 hm³ threshold, and JPS hydropower facilities (Roaring River, Maggotty, Constant Spring, Upper/Lower White River — totalling 26 MW across 7 plants) are run-of-river with negligible impoundment. With no large reservoirs in the denominator, the coverage dimension is structurally zero. The NWC weekly publication of Mona and Hermitage levels remains captured in the data_availability and update_frequency dimensions.

Quality dimensions for the COVERED subset are therefore 0 by definition. Original notes preserved below: The NWC reservoir page displays only the most recent weekly reading with no on-site archive. Occasional historical snapshots can be inferred from press releases and news articles (e.g., Jamaica Gleaner, Jamaica Observer) going back to at least 2019, confirming the page has been operational for roughly 7 years, but these are journalistic citations rather than a structured machine-readable historical series. No bulk download or time-series export of past readings is publicly available.

Quality dimensions for the COVERED subset are therefore 0 by definition. Original notes preserved below: The NWC labels the page a 'Weekly Summary' and readings are updated weekly. NWC has confirmed on social media that staff take physical readings mid-morning each day, but only the most recent weekly figure is published online. Weekly cadence is adequate for operational drought monitoring and compares favourably to many developing-country peers, but the gap between internal daily measurement and external weekly publication reduces the score.

Quality dimensions for the COVERED subset are therefore 0 by definition. Original notes preserved below: The NWC has disclosed via social media that reservoir readings are taken mid-morning each day and reflect the prior 24 hours, excluding afternoon inflows. No formal measurement protocol, sensor specifications, or gauge calibration documentation is published on the NWC website. The WRA publishes monthly streamflow bulletins (Vol. 43 covering August 2024 released April 2025) and maintains a Hydrologic Database with documented gauge types (100 automatic, 33 manual in stilling wells), but this covers river flows rather than reservoir storage, and the methodology is not specifically published for the NWC dam readings.

English is Jamaica's sole official language and all NWC and WRA publications, webpages, and data are in English. The NWC reservoir page, press releases, annual reports, and WRA streamflow bulletins are fully English-language. No language barrier exists for English-speaking international users. The modest deduction reflects the absence of metadata, glossary, or contextual documentation that would help a non-specialist interpret the figures.