Ministry Provides Funds for Trucking of Water to Westmoreland Communities

The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development has provided $1.5 million to assist with the trucking of water to sections of Eastern Westmoreland that have been experiencing severe shortages due to seasonal drought conditions.

Some of the worst affected areas are Leamington, George’s Plain, Three Miles River, Porter’s Mountain, Bird Mountain, Farm Pen, Westland Mountain and Delveland.

Mayor of Savanna-La-Mar, Bertel Moore, told JIS News that the Parish Council is grateful for the funds. He said a three-week estimate shows that it would cost the Council about $3.9 million to deliver water to several communities.

Mayor Moore said the Council is doing its best “to ensure that the people in the parish can get a little water and we have to be urging them to use the water sparingly and to conserve as much as possible."

He has recommended the refurbishing of the 30 catchment tanks in the parish, 13 of which are out of service, to improve water supply to residents during the dry periods.

Councillor for the Darliston Division, Danree Delancy, agreed with this suggestion and further proposed that a tank be built in the parish every three years.

"Over the years, during the months of May to October, we get lots of rain and during November to April, there is severe drought.  I am proposing that …we move towards repairing the catchment tanks in the parish and as soon as they are repaired or constructed, they are tied into the public water system,” he stated.

He contended that these initiatives would not only ease the severe shortage that citizens have been experiencing over the years, but also reduce the expenditure by the Council to truck water to residents.

By Glenis Rose, JIS Reporter