West Gate Hills Residents Welcome Storage Replacement Tank

It was an atmosphere of joy, as residents of West Gate Hills, Montego Bay, St. James, witnessed the 100,000-gallon storage replacement tank in their community being commissioned into service by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda on Thursday (June 16).

The West Gate Hills number-2 storage replacement tank was erected under the National Water Commission’s (NWC) Tank and Pump Rehabilitation for Operational Efficiency Improvement Programme at a cost of $30 million.

The water system, which replaces a defective and inefficient tank, is expected to reduce energy consumption and result in the reduction of downtime of the Westgate Hills distribution network.

The NWC says the newly installed glass-fused-to steel bolted tank will require minimal maintenance. The white interior coating will allow for easier visual inspection while the outer coating will prevent fading, cracking or peeling.

In an interview with JIS News, President of the West Gate Hills Citizens Association, Kereen Bailey-Dawkins, says the community had been plagued by constant disruption in water supply due to an inefficient water tank.

She explains that residents are pleased that their concerns have been addressed by the NWC.

“It’s amazing, years in waiting. West Gate Hills is a three-phase development, Phase one is over 50 years. We were reduced to one tank that had the capacity of only maintaining our community for half a day, if we had a disruption in the water supply,” Mrs. Bailey-Dawkins said.

“Today [June 16] we are here, and water is indeed life. The residents of West Gate Hills are very glad that the commissioning of this tank is being done,” she added.

West Gate Hills resident, Dawn Poyser, in welcoming the new infrastructure, tells JIS News that she is grateful that the government, through the NWC, delivered on its commitment to improve the water situation in the community.

“I actually welcome the commissioning of the tank because for years we have suffered because of the lack of water in the area to the extent where we had property damage as a result of the tanks not working. So, we welcome this commissioning today where we will have water flowing in our pipes,” she shared.

Owner and operator of Whitters Institute in West Gate Hills, Gavel Whitter, says the new tank is a welcome move.

“We were badly affected when water went and there was no recourse to say when water would return. So, we are quite happy to see something like this open up in our community. Finally, we can say no more water problems and we thank Water Commission for making this possible,” he said.

Minister Samuda in his address says the replacement tank now guarantees consistent potable water for some 1300 households.

He further noted that an additional 100,000-gallon replacement tanks will be commissioned in Niagra, Terado Heights, Pitfour, Porto Bello and Unity Hall in the parish in short order.

Mr. Samuda also assures that government through his ministry is committed to expanding and revitalising Jamaica’s water network island wide.

“We will do what we need to do as the Government of Jamaica. The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, views water as a right of all citizens, but it is also a critical pillar of economic growth which is our key mission at that ministry,” he notes.

Member of Parliament for St. James West Central and Legal and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Hon. Marlene Malahoo Forte, says the commissioning of the tank represents the progress being made by the government to solve water distribution challenges in St. James.

“Water distribution is such a big issue in St. James… but today major progress on that problem is being marked,” she stated.