$26 Million Allocated for Water Supply System in Port Antonio

Just over $26.4 million has been earmarked for the rehabilitation and expansion of water supply and distribution systems in Port Antonio, as outlined in the 2010/11 Estimates of Expenditure, currently before the House.
The programme, the Port Antonio Water Sewerage and Drainage Project, which is being executed by the National Water Commission (NWC), aims to improve the existing drainage system and introduce a new central waste water collection and treatment system in Port Antonio.
Other objectives include the replacement of 5km of old water main with new 300mm main between Port Antonio and Williamsfield; 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; the installation of 16,000 household sewer connections; the construction of a 5km trunk sewer of 200mm and three pumping stations and the construction of a 720 cubic metre sewerage treatment plant in Turtle Crawle to serve approximately 7,610 households.
For this fiscal year, financing will go towards the facilitation of a Consolidated Fund payment.
Some of the targets achieved as at March 2010 include the completion of procurement and installation of bulk flow meters for leakage control contract; 80 per cent of leak detection and repairs have been completed, preparation for digital maps and the design field assessments for water supply, sewage and drainage completed.
Funded by the Government and the European Investment Bank, the project was started in April 2005 and has been extended until December 2010.