Minister with responsibility for Water in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the investment of $770 Million to undertake major infrastructure work in St. Andrew by the National Water Commission will increase the utility’s footprint in the metropolitan area.

Minister Samuda who toured the $320 million Mona Sewer Expansion Project in Eastern St. Andrew, as well as the $450 million Waltham Park/Whitfield Town Water Supply Project in East Central St. Andrew, yesterday (June 22, 2023) says the National Water Commission (NWC) is deploying capital at a faster rate, in a bid to increase the utility’s footprint across the island.

‘We are deploying capital at a faster rate than ever before from the NWC. Last year was four billion dollars in infrastructure projects. This year we will be deploying some seven billion dollars” Minister Samuda noted while touring the Mona Sewer Project.

Minister Samuda explained that the project was undertaken as part of the NWC’s strategic goal to expand its sewerage coverage to 30% by the year 2030.   He added that with several households in the Mona area being dependent on individual soak-away systems, there was a significant strain on the natural environment.

“The way we’ve developed with backyard pits is not the best way for us, and we’re playing catch up in many ways…This project is indeed critical to the environmental health of the water table in Kingston 6 and Kingston 8 and is a part of much more work to come”, the Minister said.

Meanwhile, Minister Samuda says the upgrade to the water distribution system in the Waltham Park/Whitfield Town area is necessary as the community’s infrastructure had suffered from chronic under-investment over the past few decades and had passed its useful life.

“Much of it (the distribution network) was collapsing, and beyond that, it was no longer sufficient in terms of its size and carrying capacity, for the growth that we have seen in the community”.

Minister Samuda added that the work being undertaken is not the only “fix” that would be required.

“We do know that we are in a drought, so although the new piping is there, there is a regulated supply in the space. This will come to an end when we have completed our project at Content in St. Catherine, which is the Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant that will bring in some fifteen and a half million gallons daily into Kingston and St. Andrew.  Our current shortfall in the worst of the drought is approximately 7 million gallons, so that should give you an idea of the significant upgrade and the significant improvement that will be there for the citizens of Kingston and St Andrew and indeed Portmore”.

Approximately 20-thousand customers in the Waltham Park/Whitfield Town area will benefit from the upgraded water distribution network, while some 1800 households in Mona Heights will benefit from the Mona Sewer Expansion Project.

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