Significant work is to be carried out by the National Water Commission (NWC) over the next three years to supply potable water and increase sanitation for the people of St. Ann.
This was disclosed by Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda during a ribbon-cutting ceremony today (April 20, 2023) for the Mamee Bay Water Wheel Preservation and Beautification Project in St. Ann.
“I am here acknowledging the work that has been done on this water wheel and using it as an opportunity to state that within the next three years, in excess of 500 million of capital will be deployed into the upgrading of water systems in St. Ann. That is nothing small. That is a particularly large investment in the distribution, storage, and processing capacity for water for the citizens of St Ann”, the Minister stated.
He noted that significant work has been carried out in the parish with the commissioning of the Exchange and Bonham Spring Water Supply system, as well as the Liberty Storage Tank Replacement Project which have brought benefits to both the residents served by these systems as well as the National Water Commission.
Minister Samuda hailed the ingenuity of the Jamaican people in creating the water wheel, noting that it was a particularly important monument, as it is one of the first water supply technologies that was instrumental to the development of Jamaica’s agricultural sector.
“Jamaica led the way and provided potable water in many of its parish centres before much of the developed world, but we have fallen behind and I think in recent times, we have been playing our part to catch up”, stated Minister Samuda.
Minister Samuda emphasized that the legacy of this administration will be providing water by turning on the taps every single Thursday for people who have not had it for decades.
Last year, the Tourism Product Development Company and the NWC signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the preservation and beautification of the Mamee Bay Water Wheel.
Under the agreement, the NWC provided 3.4 million dollars for the paving, fencing, and lighting of the water wheel and its environs, while the TPDCO and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust carried out preservation activities, including signage and landscaping.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was also addressed by Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, and Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports, Hon. Olivia “Babsy” Grange.
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