Residents of the Northern Trelawny community of Spicy Hill received an early Christmas gift today (December 17, 2024), with the commissioning of newly installed pipelines to serve the growing population.
Minister without Portfolio, Hon. Matthew Samuda, who has oversight for the Water Portfolio, described the occasion as momentous.
“It is a momentous occasion because it represents the Government moving one step closer to fulfilling its commitment under the UN SDGs (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals), which aim to provide potable water and sanitation to all citizens by 2030. This is an investment of over J$30 million by the National Water Commission into the community of Spicy Hill and to the 1200 plus residents”, he stated.
Minister Samuda commended the NWC for bringing in the project on time and within budget. He added that the regularisation initiative for Spicy Hill marks a crucial advancement in securing formal water access for the residents while addressing the challenges associated with the community’s unregistered status.
Although the supply to the area in which the Ettingdon Well served was fairly adequate, many residents of Spicy Hill are unregistered. This resulted in several challenges including large areas being underserved due to unknown demand levels because of unplanned growth in the area, and water losses due to unreported leaks and poor connections.
The new pipeline spans 2.5 kilometres and comprises 1.3 kilometres of 2-inch galvanised pipeline; 600 metres of 1-inch galvanised pipeline; 600 meters of 2-inch PVC pipeline as well as service laterals.
The new pipelines will formally integrate more households into the NWC’s water supply system, thereby addressing the challenges of underserved areas and enabling better water management.
Minister Samuda urged the residents to take advantage of the offer of a 50 per cent reduction on their first bill and encouraged them to reach out to others about the recently announced amnesty being given to customers of the NWC for legacy water bills.
“We are going to be able to provide up to J$30 billions of relief to citizens so it’s nothing to scoff at. It’s a major investment in your care, in your comfort and in your way of life for those who are suffering. I encourage you to reach out to your friends, family and business associates, to remind them to come in so that we can help them to clean up their household accounts, while we clean up our books as well. It’s an effort at returning dignity, it’s an effort at returning comfort to over 100,000 citizens that have the opportunity to benefit”, he explained.
Minister Samuda encouraged persons to call the NWC hotlines and set up meeting times so that the Agency can better accommodate the flow of citizens to its offices.
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