The Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL) in partnership with the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), yesterday (October 8, 2019) officially commissioned a Rainwater Harvesting System at the Enid Bennett High School in Bog Walk, St Catherine.
The rainwater harvesting project which began at the school in December 2018 was completed at a cost of approximately $7 million.
The system was set up by the RWSL and saw the installation of four 1000 gallon black tanks, solar-powered pump and electrics, construction of a 20,000 gallon block and steel water tank; installation of over 700 feet of PVC pipes and 650 feet of gutters to support the system.
In his address at the commissioning ceremony on the grounds of the institution, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr said the installation of the rainwater harvesting infrastructure will go a long way to make Enid Bennett water secure.
He, however, said that there needs to be a change in our attitude towards water.
“There needs to be a complete 180 in how we use the resource if these structures are going to bring maximum impact”, he said.
“No longer can we merely live in the present, we must also contemplate the future. We must change our overall mindset if we are to build our resilience and ensure that the world our children are to inherit will be one without the problems we face today,” Sen. Charles Jr. added.
Principal, Patrick Phillips, said the School Board, administration, teachers, students and other stakeholders gladly welcome the rainwater harvesting infrastructure.
“Having this system in place will address some of the issues that we were having with water conservation and will prove beneficial to our farm, bathroom facilities and our playing field”, Mr. Phillips said.
The installation of the rainwater harvesting infrastructure at the Enid Bennett High school follows on the heels of the commissioning of another such infrastructure at the Rock Hall All-Age School in Red Hills, St Andrew last week.
The system at Rock Hall All-Age was installed at a cost of approximately $9 million. That project saw the installation of water harvesting gutters, black tanks, construction and installation of 20,000 gallons and 10,000 gallons Ferro-cement tanks, supply and installation of water pumps, standby Generator and Solar Panels.
During both ceremonies, several students from each school were appointed water Monitors under the Ministry’s recently established WiQi initiative which is a collaborative with, the National Water Commission (NWC), Water Resources Authority (WRA) and RWSL.
The Rural Water Supply Limited commenced its Rainwater Harvesting programme in 2011 with works on the Maldon and Chatsworth Schools in St James and the Police Convalescent Centre in St Elizabeth. Eleven schools have benefited so far from the programme, with over a dozen more across the parishes of Clarendon, Manchester, St Elizabeth, St Andrew, St Thomas, St James and Hanover to benefit.
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