Minister Chang Tours the Artificial Groundwater Recharge System & Soapberry Treatment Plant

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth & Job Creation, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, will this morning tour the National Water Commission’s Artificial Groundwater Recharge System in Inswood and the Soapberry Treatment Plant in St. Catherine.

Dr. Chang will take a first-hand look at the operations of the Artificial Groundwater Recharge System and discuss the proposed expansion of the Soapberry Treatment Plant.

The Artificial Recharge System when completed will cost $1.080B and will boost the potable water supply for the Kingston Metropolitan Area (KMA) and St. Catherine by an additional 5 million gallons of water per day, while maintaining the integrity of the present wells.

Dr. Chang pointed out that “when this Administration was last in government, we worked assiduously to ensure that mechanisms were put in place to develop effective and efficient water systems to foster economic growth and development”.

The Artificial Recharge System is supported by the use of man-made resources to introduce and store excess water in the underground aquifer which will enable abstraction to be more sustainable particularly in periods of drought.

“Let us use this as a new chapter in water management for the development of Jamaica. This project signifies the extensive work that has been carried out in St. Catherine and the plans that this Administration have in place to facilitate the availability and distribution of water”, Dr. Chang said.

He further added that this will make our urban centres drought resilient and mitigate any damage from rising sea levels due to climate change, which can lead to saline intrusion into our coastal aquifers.

Discussions are also in place for the expansion of the Soapberry Treatment Plant in order to expand the KSA sewer network as well as to improve conditions of the Hunts Bay and wider Kingston Harbour. The Plant will treat wastewater so that the quality of effluent discharges will be of relatively high quality for use as irrigation water.

“The new technology will ensure that we can begin the process of recycling and prevent the loss of millions of gallons of valuable water. In addition, work will be done on non-revenue water and new production facilities developed” Minister Chang concluded.