The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation is expected to deliver between ten thousand and thirteen thousand black tanks to rural communities this year.
This follows the announcement made by Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness in his 2023 budget presentation that 50 thousand black tanks would be provided to rural communities as secondary storage methods over a three-year period, to significantly improve the water resilience of these communities.
Minister without Portfolio, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, outlined the approach to the first thirteen thousand tanks yesterday (April 20, 2023) during the commissioning of the Mitchell Town Pipeline Replacement Project in South-Eastern Clarendon.
“This is particularly important, not just because secondary storage is important, but because the NWC’s utility footprint has a start and an endpoint. There are communities that are outside of the utility footprint of the NWC and the Parish Council systems. There are communities that need help right now, and this is one of the ways that we can help”.
Minister Samuda noted that the programme would involve more than just providing the tanks for households.
“We will be including a rainwater harvesting component with every single one of these tanks, meaning we will provide the guttering and collection. We are also going to be training young men and women in communities to do the installation and providing them with a stipend and teaching them in plumbing,” the Minister disclosed.
He added that the tanks will be geo-tagged.
“When we know where secondary storage exists, we are able to plot routes for trucking during times of crisis or dry periods. It makes an inefficient system worse when people are coming out with buckets as opposed to you putting the hose in the tank, and filling the tank properly, ensuring the least possible wastage,” explained Minister Samuda.
The Mitchell Town Pipeline Replacement project began last year June and was completed at a cost of approximately $25 million. It is expected to serve the Mitchell Town Housing Scheme, New Town Phases I and II, Moneymusk Housing Scheme, Lionel Town, Rocky Point and Portland Cottage.
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