Hundreds of St. Ann Residents Benefiting from Improved Water Supply
By: , February 27, 2023
Photo: OKOYE HENRY
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda (second from left), turns on the main valve for the 50,000-gallon Liberty Storage Tank that was commissioned into service in the Liberty district in St. Ann on Thursday (February 23). Sharing in the moment are (from left) Deputy Mayor of St. Ann, Councillor Dalas Dickenson; Member of Parliament for St. Ann North East, Marsha Smith; Vice President of Operations at the National Water Commission (NWC), Kevin Kerr; and NWC’s Regional Manager for St. Ann, St. Mary and Portland, Richard Williams.
Photo: Okoye Henry
The Liberty Storage Tank that was commissioned into service in the Liberty district of St. Ann on Thursday (February 23).The Full Story
Some 600 households spanning seven communities in St. Ann are benefiting from improved access to potable water following the commissioning of a 50,000-gallon storage tank in the parish on Thursday (February 23).
The $17-million glass-fused-to-steel bolted tank, located in Liberty district, replaces an old 20,000-gallon capacity metal structure that had deteriorated.
It serves Liberty, Roadside, New Banks, Tanglewood, Lewis, Coolshade Housing Scheme and Hartland.
The project, which involved installing new interconnecting pipelines, has improved the reliability and the quality of water supplied to the communities, including elevated areas, and reduced energy consumption on the National Water Commission (NWC) network.
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, who commissioned the tank into service, said that the facility has doubled secondary storage capacity for the people of Liberty and its environs.
He noted that some 33 tanks are being erected as part of a $600 million investment to ensure that secondary storage is improved across the country.
“These milestones are important nationally because it is a recognition that the money being paid to NWC for water bills is being reinvested in your infrastructure,” Mr. Samuda said.
He urged the residents to take care of the system and to encourage those who benefit from it to pay the bills on time. “If you are aware of anyone who is brazen enough to try and steal the water, advise us as well,” he said.
NWC’s Vice President of Operations, Kevin Kerr, said the tank’s commissioning is in keeping with the agency’s commitment to provide reliable and quality service to Jamaicans.
He noted that the savings to be realised from the project will be used to provide more reliable pumps, standby generators and installing renewable energy systems, so that “we can be more efficient in serving you”.
Liberty district resident, Paulette Scott, welcomed the new tank, noting that the beneficiary communities are experiencing more reliable water supply.