Gov’t to Increase Access to Potable Water in St. Elizabeth

The Government will be spending some $628 million over the next 24 months to develop water systems in the parish of St. Elizabeth.
Minister of Water and Housing, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, making the announcement at the commissioning of the Santa Cruz water supply system in Content on Wednesday (Aug. 12) said that the move is in keeping with national development objectives.
“Part of our social and economic infrastructural development is water supply. We have set out, as a Government, to ensure that potable water supply is within the reach of all Jamaicans, and is part of what we have to do to provide for the sustainable growth and improvement in the quality of life of every single Jamaican,” he stated.
The Santa Cruz water system was constructed at a cost of more than $90 million and the scope of work included putting in a new well at Content, and upgrading of transmission and distribution lines.
The system will serve the town centre, and communities such as Long Wood, Olive Park, Bybrook Park, Glenco, Lovely Point, Beadle’s Boulevard, Waterloo, Burnt Ground, and Leeds.
It will supply two million gallons of water per day to augment existing supplies, with room for future expansion.
In addition to the Santa Cruz system, there is the newly established Flagaman system, which was developed at a cost of $10 million, and will be turned on soon.
The Minister further informed that, “we intend to spend some $180 million to get water to that vast section of South St. Elizabeth, Nain to Junction, which currently has serious problems in the dry season. That system will start this week.”