$120 Million to Continue Port Antonio Water Sewerage and Drainage Project

The Port Antonio Water Sewerage and Drainage Project, a programme within the Ministry of Housing, Transport and Works, has been allocated $120 million in the 2006/2007 Estimates of Expenditure now before the House of Representatives.
The sum will finance, inter alia, the upgrading of the existing drainage system and the introduction of a new central wastewater collection and treatment system in Port Antonio. The project, which began last year and will run until March 2009, is funded by the Government of Jamaica and the European Investment Bank. It also seeks to rehabilitate and expand the water supply and distribution systems in the region.
At the beginning of the project, the initial targets ranged from the replacement of five kilometres of old water main with a new 300-millimetre main between Port Antonio and Williamsfield, to the installation of 16, 000 household sewer connections, as well as the rehabilitation and expansion of water intake, treatment plant and pumping station in Grant’s Level to a capacity of 16, 000 cubic metres per day.
Up to February 2006, engineering designs for the project were 95 per cent completed, pre-qualification of contractors has begun, as well as institutional strengthening and training.
For 2006/2007 financial year, it is expected that the second stage of designs will be completed and construction contracts will be tendered. Additionally, tenders will be invited and construction contract will be awarded for the first stage of civil works to pave the way for construction to begin.