Ground Broken for $1.2b Munroe Road to Seaview Avenue Pipeline Project

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, on Wednesday (May 14), broke ground for the $1.2-billion Munroe Road to Seaview Avenue Pipeline Project in St. Andrew.

The project, being implemented by the National Water Commission (NWC), includes upgrades to potable water mains and the installation of new sewer lines.

The areas that will benefit include Old Hope Road, Retreat Avenue, Seymour Avenue, New Kingston, Seaview Avenue, Mona Road, Wellington Avenue and Munroe Road.

Dr. Holness, who delivered the keynote address at the ground-breaking ceremony on Wellington Drive, said the project will enhance sewage collection in Kingston and St. Andrew while improving the reliability of water flow into homes.

The project is especially crucial, as these areas undergo rapid residential and commercial development, increasing demand on existing sewerage systems.

“This project will replace old sewer mains… some of [which were] laid more than 60 years ago with material that we are not using today anymore. [They are] calcified, broken, and you can’t get reliable water pressure through them,” Dr. Holness said.

He urged residents in the affected areas to be patient, noting that such projects often require time to be completed.

“The average water project would take about six months to a year to be done. So, between whenever the project is conceived and [when] you actually turn on your pipe and get water, you’re looking at between six months to a year… average,” he advised.

Dr. Holness highlighted the benefits that will accrue to householders and other stakeholders upon completion of the development.

“This project will bring reliable water supply to the area. It will improve sewage disposal, it will protect our environment, it will create more opportunities for housing for our young people, [and] it will create more jobs… and, indeed, it will increase the welfare of all Jamaicans,” he stated.

Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Matthew Samuda, further emphasised the project’s environmental benefits, noting that outdated systems have impacted underground wells.

“There are wells and water sources within this general area that we are not currently able to access because of high nitrate content; and that is because of the environmental scourge that I call the ‘backyard pit’,” he said during the ceremony.

“When we create the capacity to manage our sewage, it is an environmental investment. Yes, it unlocks significant investment opportunities for developers, both residential and commercial, but it is an investment in our environmental sustainability and one that we are particularly proud of,” Minister Samuda maintained.

Meanwhile, Vice President of Engineering and Capital Projects at the NWC, Garth Jackson, urges residents in the affected areas – whose homes will be adjacent to the pipeline – to connect to the main sewer line.

“Once you are within 300 feet, the laws allow NWC to charge you sewerage, and it is an incentive for them to connect. A lot of people say, ‘I am paying, might as well I connect’,” he said.

Mr. Jackson informed that connecting to the main sewer network will further benefit homeowners with soak-away pits that have become saturated.

Minister of Finance and the Public Service and Member of Parliament for St. Andrew Eastern, Hon. Fayval Williams, and Member of Parliament for St. Andrew South Eastern, Julian Robinson, both welcomed the project and its anticipated benefits for their constituents.

Minister Williams stated that the project reflects the commitment to improving lives and meeting the needs of her constituents.

“The Munroe Road to Seaview Avenue Pipeline Project represents more than the installation of pipes. It represents development, partnership, and a shared commitment to improving lives. We have heard it before, but the truth remains – water is life, and reliable access to water is a fundamental need,” she said.

Mr. Robinson concurred, adding that the project aligns with the “overall growth and development” in the communities that will benefit from the pipeline project.

The Munroe Road to Seaview Avenue Pipeline Project is part of the NWC’s $10-billion capital expenditure for 2025/26, aimed at upgrading infrastructure, expanding networks, and enhancing service delivery.