Several Measures to Alleviate Water Shortage in Hanover and Westmoreland

Minister without Portfolio in Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the Government is taking several steps to alleviate water shortage in Hanover and Westmoreland.

“We have allocated an additional $25 million for the next six weeks to facilitate trucking [of water] in Hanover and Westmoreland. We have [also] identified funds to purchase 2,000 black [water] tanks for citizens in Hanover and Westmoreland who are most in need, and those will be distributed as soon as the purchase and the delivery take place,” Senator Samuda assured.

He was speaking to journalists after a meeting with members of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and other stakeholders from the two parishes, held at Couples Swept Away in Negril, Westmoreland, on April 4, to address the water shortage due to severe drought conditions in these areas.

“We are experiencing a chronic drought in the area and the impacts are being felt by citizens and we empathise; and we are not just empathising. We have taken several steps that we believe will alleviate this pressure,” the Minister said.

He noted that the Great River water system in Hanover, as well as the several other systems in Westmoreland, will be upgraded, adding that the Government is to undertake $70 million worth of pipework in the areas, starting later this year.

“I think residents are assured that there will be a positive impact from these investment, and we just thought it was important to come and let them know that we are very clear that it’s a very tough time, we are clear that it hasn’t been easy and it won’t be easy for the next four to six weeks, but we are doing everything in our power to make sure that we alleviate the pressure that they are facing,” the Minister said.

For his part, Acting President of the National Water Commission (NWC), Kevin Kerr, told JIS News that among the medium-term solutions will be the transfer of water from the Great River water system in Hanover into Green Island and Lucea, to minimise the need to distribute water from the Logwood treatment plant, which has been depleted.

The treatment plant obtains water from two sources – the Blue Hole and Fish River Springs. Its capacity is 3.2 million gallons per day and the supply is divided between Lucea and Negril.

The plant supplies several communities in both Hanover and Westmoreland.

Acting Regional Manager at the NWC for Hanover and Westmoreland, David Pryce, told JIS News that the Logwood plant is now operating at less than 50 per cent, down from 75 per cent three months ago.