Gov’t Investing in Improving Water Sector’s Resilience

The Government is making major investments in Jamaica’s water sector infrastructure to improve resilience, says Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda.

Senator Samuda said the investments are being undertaken in initiatives focusing on the country’s distribution network, irrigation capacity, decentralised storage at community levels, and improving processing capacity as well as upgrading of approximately 100 pumping stations and development of the Mahogony Vale Dam Project.

He was addressing a function hosted by the Jamaica Institution of Engineers (JIE) at the Summit in New Kingston on Wednesday (September 19).

Senator Samuda said implementation of the Non-Revenue Water Programme has been a critical component of building resilience.

“In 2015, Kingston and St. Andrew’s non-revenue water source was in the range of 72 per cent. As of now, we are happy to report that we’ve cut that figure down to 38 per cent. In essence, we are pumping significantly less water into the ground. Now, that is one of the major elements of resilience,” the Minister stated.

Senator Samuda said the Non-Revenue Water programme is also being undertaken in Portmore, St. Catherine.

“We are currently out to tender for a national non-revenue water partner. This is done as a PPP (Public-Private Partnership) with a major investment in our infrastructure. It increases storage, it revitalises your distribution network, it installs pressure monitoring gauges, and it also changes the meters at the household level. This has given us significant success in reduction in damage, in wasted water, [and] in electricity bills. So, your non-revenue water programme is priority number one,” he stated.

Minister Samuda further disclosed that significant investment is being made in the irrigation capacity.

“Currently, US$50 million is being deployed into the irrigation systems – Essex Valley in St. Elizabeth. We are also in negotiations with a partner to implement the Pedro Plains Irrigation Systems,” he said.

Senator Samuda informed that the contract for developing the Content Water Treatment Plant has been signed.

“This will put some 15 million gallons daily into the Corporate Area and significantly reduce the water challenges that are being experienced right throughout Kingston and St. Andrew and, indeed, Portmore. [This is] a major investment that will be some US$77 million,” he disclosed.

Additionally, Minister Samuda advised that the Floating Solar Plant Project for the Mona Reservoir is slated to get under way within weeks.

“The project will see a floating solar system being installed at a cost of approximately US$60 million that will produce 45 megawatts of clean energy. This investment is not being made by the Government of Jamaica; it is being done as a PPP, and the ultimate value to the [National] Water Commission would be in excess of one billion Jamaican dollars a year. That is approximately what our energy bill is for a month,” he informed, while also advising that upgrading of the 100 pumping stations is under way.

Additionally, Senator Samuda indicated that the Government has initiated the preparation and planning stage for the Mahogony Vale Dam project.

This is an integrated water and energy project intended to significantly increase resilience in the eastern end of the island.

The project was first proposed in a 1967 report as a possible solution for augmenting the potable water supply for the city of Kingston.

“This project creates massive opportunities. It’s a huge dam, [and] depending on the designs, you could see in the range of US$1 billion invested. It builds energy and water resilience, certainly for the next century, and it is one that we are committed to, working with our partners, certainly the GCF (Green Climate Fund) and others in the international sphere, to get financing to ensure that our assessments of the hydrology are, indeed, correct to do the technical work on the land usage and to ensure the relocation of persons,” the Minister noted.

Senator Samuda said Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has instructed that an Inter-Government Working Group be convened for the project.

“We are working through that process, and significant updates will come in the coming months,” he stated.

Senator Samuda said the Government is committed to undertaking strategies to build the country’s water resilience.

“There can be no doubt that our climate has changed, that our weather patterns have shifted and that we are facing an existential threat to our way of life,” he said.

The Minister disclosed that over the last 12 months, Jamaica has been in the throes of one of the worst droughts in the country’s history.

“Between October and March, that six-month period saw the least rainfall recorded cumulatively during that six-month period. In July and August, we saw the two hottest months in our history,” Senator Samuda stated.