$11B Boost For Western Parishes Water Supply Resilience In 2026/27

A total of $11 billion has been allocated for the Western Parishes Water Supply and Resilience Improvement Programme in fiscal year 2026/27.

This initiative is designed to strengthen the efficiency, reliability, and resilience of the regional water transmission system.

The project will focus on the comprehensive upgrading of aging pipeline infrastructure, specifically along the corridors between Martha Brae and Leader Avenue, Montego Bay, and from Lucea to Negril.

Details of the project are presented in the 2026/27 Estimates of Expenditure, tabled recently in the House of Representatives by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams.

The venture, scheduled to run from April 2026 to March 2029, will be financed by the Government of Jamaica.

The anticipated targets for 2026/27 include: development of the design for a new transmission pipeline infrastructure with all associated fittings and appurtenances; supply and installation of two kilometres (km) of 800 millimetre (mm) ductile iron pipes from Martha Brae to Montego Bay; supply and installation of eight km of 500 mm ductile iron pipes from Lucea to Negril; and the supply and installation of four km of 800mm, 10 km of 700 mm, and 20 km of 500 mm ductile pipes along designated service corridors.

Additionally, the project will involve: the installation of new high-performance transmission pipelines with the necessary fittings and appurtenances for full system integration; enhancement of hydraulic capacity, operating pressure and flow delivery across the service corridors; reduction in non-revenue water and energy consumption; and the decrease of operational disruptions to the public and the risk of property damage.

The Western Parishes Water Supply and Resilience Improvement Programme will be executed through the Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change, in collaboration with the National Water Commission (NWC).