Two Water Shops To Be Built In Portland

Portland is the latest parish to benefit under the Government’s initiative to construct water shops as a means of addressing the water needs of residents in drought-affected communities across Jamaica.

Two facilities will be built in the parish at a cost of approximately $19.5 million.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, broke ground for the establishment of the first shop in the community of Commodore on Friday (November 8).

Speaking to JIS News after the ground breaking, the Minister said that an announcement will be made at a later date as to the location of the other facility.

He noted that the water shop to be built in Commodore will serve more than 1,000 residents.

“What this water shop will do is house 20,000 gallons of water that will be provided free of cost to the community. It will be similar to the ones that we have built across the country in St. Elizabeth, Manchester and Clarendon,” he said.

He told JIS News that construction is expected to commence shortly and will last about two months. “Before February next year, this will be fully operational,” he said.

Commodore resident, Donna Burgess, told JIS News that the water shop will provide community members with reliable access to water.

“We’re really grateful for this because in this community we’re facing a shortage of water, and I give thanks,” Ms. Burgess said.

The ground-breaking ceremony was part of a series of engagements in the parish by the Ministry in partnership with the Portland Municipal Corporation from November 6 to 8.

“We just opened a swing bridge. We are spending some $45 million at the [Portland] Infirmary and we are doing a number of roads across this section of Portland. The Councillors have made the necessary representations and we have listened to the people and we are now responding,” Minister McKenzie told JIS News.