Corporate Area, St Catherine water projects near completion
Published:Monday | October 2, 2023 | 12:05 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
TWO MAJOR projects aimed at enhancing the water supply to residents in several communities in St Catherine and Kingston are nearing completion.
The biggest is a more than $125-million Jericho Pipeline Project in St Catherine, which is set to deliver a reliable and consistent water supply to the communities of Treadways, York Street, Orangefield, Victoria, Banbury, Charlemont Housing Scheme, White House, Ewarton, Mount Rosser, Nutshell, and others that have long grappled with water shortages.
This endeavour is said to be on target set for completion by December 2023.
Additionally, there is the $28.8-million Montgomery Corner well-drilling project initiated in February 2023, to serve communities within the vicinity of Marescaux Road, Cross Roads, Central Kingston, Trench Town, and Maxfield Park. This is also said to be on track to meet its completion deadline of October 2023 and according to officials, it will significantly alleviate the water scarcity concerns in these communities.
Both projects are being spearheaded by the National Water Commission (NWC) and the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.
Senator Matthew Samuda, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic, Growth and Job Creation, which has responsibility for water, environment and climate change, toured the projects on Thursday and expressed confidence in their progress. He also assured residents that they will have the gift of regular water supply for Christmas.
“Ultimately, we are very pleased with the progress. We are working diligently to ensure that we complete the work, restore the road infrastructure and, most importantly, ensure that our citizens are happy and have a reliable water supply,” Samuda affirmed during his visit to the Jericho project.
He told residents that efforts will be made to regularise those who are not on the system legally, suggesting that they will also have a part to play in the process.
“We are doing our part, we are going to need the citizens to do their part, those who are not connected to the system legally we will be working with them to get them on the system legally, and those who are intent on breaking the law, we will be working with the political directorate to ensure that the good doesn’t suffer for the bad and the network isn’t compromised,” the minister noted, adding that they are on track with the budget.
RESIDENT HAPPY
With the installation of booster pumps, the Jericho system is designed to produce some 2.6 million gallons of water per day.
The Montgomery Corner well-drilling project is projected to extract 1.2 million gallons per day, and is part of the NWC’s redevelopment of its groundwater sources in Kingston and St Andrew.
Charlemont resident Shanna Kay Robinson said she is happy that the system will be improved.
“Mi feel alright now that we are getting water for Christmas, now mi can wash and take proper shower. Up to a month sometimes we couldn’t get water, so mi feel good,” she told The Gleaner.
Jericho resident Dave McCarthy believes that the improved system will channel water to Kingston.
“To how the Government talk it seem like this is to supply the whole Jamaica from Jericho here, because we have spring water running before mi born and mi a soon 50 now and it never run dry,” McCarthy revealed.
The NWC’s regional manager, Garwaine Johnson, disclosed that the entity did a census mapping programme in the communities that the Jericho system serves, and it shows that 40 per cent of the residents are consumers. He said that the revenue team is actively working in the area, doing house-to-house contact management and encouraging persons who are not legally connected to come on board.
Johnson asserted that the customer service department is very amiable and ready to serve all their consumers.
The NWC has also completed rehabilitation of the Long Mountain and Rennock Lodge wells at a cost of $13.5 million and have put them back in production.