More Than 8,000 Hanover Residents To Benefit From Improved Water Supply

More than 8,000 residents of Cascade, Claremont and Jericho in Hanover are to benefit from an improved supply of potable water, as improvement works, at a cost of $271.25 million, are progressing on that system by the National Water Commission (NWC).

Addressing residents and reporters after a tour of the main communities on July 24, at the Merlene Ottey High School in Hanover, Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, said the project is necessary, as residents are experiencing “increased distribution challenges,” due to the age and encrustation in existing pipelines.

“This is one of the capital intensive projects that we are pursuing to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to deliver a consistent supply of potable water to the people in these communities,” the Minister said.

He informed that the treated water produced from this location varied from 6,000 gallons per day to 54,000 gallons per day.

“However, the demand for water in the service area has far outgrown the available supply and the age of the pipelines has greatly increased the distribution challenges.  In addition, the present treatment plant was not designed to deal with high turbidity,” the Minister explained.

Mr. Pickersgill pointed out that one of the main aims of the project is to reduce non-revenue water due to constant leaks from the aged system and the maintenance costs associated with leak repairs.

“The project is comprised of a system of transmission and distribution pipelines as well as storage and pumping stations which will relay the treated water to the communities,” he noted.

Informing that the parish of Hanover currently  owes some $316.3 million of unpaid water bills to the NWC, the Minister reiterated that citizens of the parish must “step up to the plate” and pay their bills, so that “we can provide you with improved and reliable service.”