Short-term projects to alleviate the drought facing businesses and communities in Western Jamaica, which were previously announced at a stakeholder meeting in Negril on April 4, are reaping success.
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda provided an update yesterday (May 29, 2024) on the projects to stakeholders, during a special meeting on Water Resilience in Western Jamaica, at the Grand Palladium in Hanover.
The Minister noted that six major leaks along the distribution network in Negril were repaired over the last two months, to reduce the significant Non-Revenue Water (NRW) issue in the area.
He added that repair work along the Salt Creek Bridge stretch, which had been a source of deep concern would be completed within the next two weeks.
The Minister also announced that works along the stretch from the West End to Red Ground which has a particularly degraded distribution network, would be completed in three weeks.
“For those who would have had a chance you would have seen that the pipes to do 1.2 kilometers of line replacement were actually delivered on Monday (May 27). Heavy equipment was moved into the space yesterday, and work started today. When one adds up the work in the West End, the work on Salt Creek Bridge, and the additional line works that have been done, we expect to be saving approximately one million gallons that were being pumped into the ground”, he explained.
Minister Samuda added that work would be done on four major areas of degradation in Hanover, over the next eight weeks.
Continuing with the short-term measures, Minister Samuda also stated that the decalcification or “pigging” of the Great River system was completed on Friday (May 24, 2024).
“That’s a major step for St. James, Hanover, and Westmoreland because that water at Great River comes back to Terminal in St. James and pumps westerly down towards Green Island. It never used to be able to get to Green Island. What that means is that the Logwood Plant, that used to pump both easterly and westerly will now be focused on pumping and supplying purely westerly. So the Norman Manley Beach Road and the road going up to the West End, once that work is done on the distribution line, should see significant improvement”, the Minister explained.
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