Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, who has portfolio responsibility for Water, says an all-of-government approach is being taken to effect major improvements to the water supply in Old Harbour and surrounding communities in South West St. Catherine.
Minister Samuda made the comment yesterday (November 16, 2023), during a tour of several water supply systems in South West St. Catherine. He was joined on the tour by Member of Parliament for the constituency Hon. Clifford Warmington.
The tour included the Colbeck Treatment Plant that serves the Bois Content and Planters Hall Areas, the Russell Graham Well, Davis Primary where a rainwater Harvesting System was installed by Rural Water Supply Limited, as well as Bartons.
“What the public should be aware of today is that it is an all-of-government approach that has taken place, with the assessment being done in the areas around Old Harbour. We have with us, the NWC and its senior team led by Acting President Kevin Kerr, we have Mr. Audley Thompson from Rural Water and we are in close contact with the teams from the Water Resources Authority and at the National Irrigation Commission (NIC), to ensure that a cohesive position is arrived at”, the Minister stated.
Minister Samuda noted that the constituency is one of the more unique areas, in that it includes a heavily urbanized town centre, as well as deep rural communities. He added that if the country is to achieve the Vision 2030 target of ensuring that all Jamaicans have access to potable water and sanitation, a constituency such as South West St. Catherine has to receive major focus.
“The significant housing developments that have come into this constituency and those that are to come require us to upgrade the infrastructure significantly. We also do not want to lose the connection with the rural roots that surround the town of Old Harbour. We want to ensure that people aren’t forced necessarily to move from the communities that they are in, to get access to the amenities” the Minister stated.
Noting that some of the upgrades to the water systems in the constituency have been on the books since 2008, Minister Samuda said the water agencies will be working very closely with the Ministry of Finance over the next 18 months, to ensure that the provision of resources, matches the urgent need for upgrades.
“We expect to be able to start some minor works in January. Come the new budget in April, we will definitely include some of the distribution issues that the constituency is having. We will be working to upgrade the wells that need to be upgraded, and we will be working with the NIC to ensure that we get access to new wells for the community” Minister Samuda explained.
The comprehensive programme of works at an estimated cost of J$965 million, include a Non-Revenue Water Reduction and Control Programme, well rehabilitation and upgrading, leak detection and pipe repair, the supply and installation of electro-mechanical pumping equipment, the installation of interconnecting, transmission and secondary pipelines, as well as storage tanks.
Meanwhile, Minister Warmington noted that discussions were also held regarding Terminal Street and the extension of the NWC network into the Old Harbour fishing village.
“I mentioned also, we didn’t get a chance to go there, is Terminal Street where the water supply service ends at Burkefield Meadows but the others go all the way down to JPS and to the beach. They don’t get any service from the Water Commission. They get service from the Jamaica Public Service well supply which is untreated. So, I’m hoping and asking that we see if we can extend the supply from Burkefield to go down there”, Minister Warmington Said.
Minister Warmington thanked Minister Samuda and the teams from the NWC and RWSL for visiting the constituency to assess the water systems.
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