the incidence of health-related diseases. Infrastructure The National Water Commission (NWC), which produces more than 90% of Jamaica's total potable water supply, operates a network of more than 160 wells, over 116 river sources (via water treatment plants) and 147 springs. The various Parish Councils and a small number of private water companies supply the rest of the potable water. The NWC operates more than 1,000 water supply and over 100 sewerage facilities islandwide. These vary from large raw water storage reservoirs at Hermitage and Mona in St. Andrew and the Great River treatment plant in St. James, to medium-sized and small diesel-driven pumping installations serving rural towns and villages across Jamaica. The NWC facilities also include over 4,000 kilometres of pipelines and more than 500 kilometres of sewer mains across the island. NWC supplies some 190 million gallons of potable water each day. Responsibility for water supply and sanitation Policy and regulation Policy institutions The Ministry of Water and Housing (MWH) is responsible for setting water and sanitation policies. It is also in charge of ensuring that all housing developments meet required standards for sanitation. The Ministry of Health develops and implements health policies and legislation to promote appropriate sanitation practices; establishes and monitors health indicators for sanitation, enforces public health laws, provides public education on sanitation and hygiene. The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) determines and monitors environmental standards for water supply and sanitation. Local Authorities have only a limited role in the sector. The following water agencies operate under the supervision of the Ministry of Water and Housing The National Water Commission, in charge water supply and sanitation The Rural Water Supply Company, formerly Carib Engineering Corporation Limited (CECL) The Water Resource Authority The Water Resources Authority (WRA) is responsible for the management, protection, and controlled allocation and use of Jamaica's water resources. The WRA maintains a hydrological database and provides data, information, and technical assistance to government and non-government institutions. Policies Some of the existing policies related to water supply and sanitation are: The Water Sector Policy Paper (1999) "outlines the current situation and problems within the water sector , defines the objectives of the Government to address the issues, and sets out the mode of implementation." The National Solid Waste Management Policy (2000) establishes the framework for standard setting and regulatory agency, the National Solid Waste Management Authority which facilitates the private sector as