Gov’t Investing in Water Sector Infrastructure at an Unprecedented Rate

Jamaica is not being spared the effects of climate change and shifting weather patterns.

As such, the Government has been investing in the water sector’s infrastructure at an unprecedented rate.

This, according to Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday (April 26), Mr. Samuda said in light of the fact that Jamaica can expect longer periods of intense droughts and intense rainfall, the investments being made in the water sector aim to improve resilience and the capacity of the various agencies.

Some of these include the addition, last year, of eight new trucks to the fleet of the National Water Commission (NWC) to increase the entity’s trucking capacity.

“This year, the NWC will purchase a further eight that will carry our fleet, I believe, to 32,” the Minister pointed out.

Additionally, Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, in his recent Budget Debate presentation, announced that 50,000 black tanks are to be made available to needs-assessed households across Jamaica.

Providing further details of this undertaking, Senator Samuda informed that distribution of 13,000 of these tanks is slated to begin in July this year.

“These tanks will simply not just be given out. We will come with a full detailed programme at the time of [the]… launch but, to note, it will be accompanied with the appropriate guttering to facilitate rainwater harvesting,” Senator Samuda pointed out.

He further said there will be training of community members to do installations. These persons will be provided with a stipend.

The programme is aimed at significantly increasing water resilience, especially in communities outside of the NWC’s utility footprint and in communities affected by ageing infrastructure.

In addition, the Minister informed that construction of a new water treatment plant in Content, St. Catherine, for which a contract was signed last November, is to begin in July this year.

He reiterated that this will provide approximately 15 million gallons of water daily to the Corporate Area.

“That would be sufficient that, when complete, if you have a drought of this level… of this nature, with this level of rainfall, you would not have water disruption in supply [in] Kingston and St. Andrew… nothing of any consequence,” Mr. Samuda said.

“This is a major national investment that the NWC, through a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement, will make in the water supply of Kingston, St. Andrew and the soon-to-be parish of Portmore,” the Senator added.

The plant is expected to be the second largest in Jamaica and will benefit approximately 150,000 customers.

The PPP agreement is between the NWC and Rio Cobre Water Limited, with the project valuing some US$77 million.

Senator Samuda also highlighted the NWC’s non-revenue water-reduction programme, which has cut leaks and non-revenue water in Kingston from 71 per cent to 38 per cent.

“Before the drought started, Kingston and St. Andrew was using 35 million gallons of water a day, meaning we had stopped the leaks and theft of over 15 million gallons a day,” Mr. Samuda said.

He pointed out that it was for this reason “why we didn’t have to have lockoffs for Christmas [and] why we didn’t start strict measures in January”.

“So, the investments and capital infrastructure are adequately preparing the country to deal with the extended periods of drought that will come,” the Minister stated.

Other notable water projects are the Mahogany Vale Dam, which was also announced by Prime Minister Holness in his Budget Debate presentation and is to significantly increase resilience in the eastern end of the island.

The Pedro Plains irrigation project, similarly, will significantly increase resilience for farmers in southern St. Elizabeth and southern Manchester.

Noting that building the requisite resilience to address drought conditions, going forward, is “not an overnight fix”, Minister Samuda said the “chronic level of underinvestment in the NWC over the last 40 years”, is being corrected by the management and Board of the entity.

“We do note that, because of the drought and because of the ageing infrastructure, there have been some challenges in recent times. We ask citizens for their understanding, and we assure them that we are working around the clock. But more importantly, we’re investing the revenue of NWC and, indeed, tax dollars to ensure that this resilience is built in and that, eventually, this is a thing of the past,” he added.