Dr. Chang Signs $2.8b Contracts to Improve Water Systems

KINGSTON — Minister of Housing, Environment and Water, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, signed four major contracts Tuesday (September 27), valued at some $2.8 billion, to improve water systems across Jamaica.

Under the projects, the Clarks Town water system, which takes water from the Martha Brae water treatment plant, will provide an improved supply to areas such as Duncans, Silversand, Spicy Hill and Georgia. These areas are currently supplied via asbestos cement pipelines, which frequently leak and affect reliable delivery to the communities.

The Kingston and St. Andrew sewer network will also be expanded, to capture additional sewage in the Mona/Liguanea area. It will increase sewage flows into the new Soapberry Water Treatment Plant, reducing the average cost of operating the facility and reducing the adverse impact caused by on-site sewage disposal systems in the communities.

In the Kingston Metropolitan Area (KMA), there will be rehabilitation of various water supply facilities, including replacement of sections of the water supply network in Greater Spanish Town and the development of the water resources to provide an additional 5 million gallons per day. Construction of a new transmission main at the downstream of the existing Caymanas Tank of the Rio Cobre System, connected to the existing Marley Hill Reservoir number 2 at Braeton, and construction of reinforcement mains in Portmore are also included in the plans.

Rehabilitation of the Mona Water Treatment Plant is part of the water improvement project. Work will include repair of the rapid gravity filters and the replacement of filter media. It will also involve installation of automation and regulation controls and equipment, meters and valves-rehabilitation of chemical dosing equipment and new chlorination facilities.

Speaking at the signing ceremony at the Ministry, New Kingston, Dr. Chang described the improvements to be done, as another fulfillment of Government’s commitment to deliver potable water to communities without or with infrequent supply of the commodity, and also to ensure that the infrastructure is at an acceptable level where they can serve communities.

"It is part of the Water Commission‘s drive to upgrade the entire system. It is designed to improve waste water collection and treatment and designed to improve the efficiency of the existing system and bring about a reliable quality service,” he stated.

The Minister also noted that improvement work is ongoing to boost water delivery.

"The target we are now looking at is 95% of the urban population and 66% of the rural population over the next five years. We have invested significantly in the last four years. We have done significant work in the plains of St. Catherine, and we have started work in the eastern section of the Corporate Area. We have completed our parish plans for the entire island, and we are activating the work on those programmes,” Dr. Chang stated.

By Garfield L. Angus, JIS Reporter