Ministry to Spend Over $1.5b on Water/Sewage Upgrading in Portland and Clarendon

Water and sewage treatment facilities in Port Antonio, Portland, and May Pen, Clarendon, are to be upgraded at a cost of over $1.5 billion, Water and Housing Minister, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang has disclosed.
Speaking at Wednesday’s (May 20) Post Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House, Dr. Chang said that stage one of the Port Antonio water and sewage upgrading project is to be undertaken at a cost of $1.5 billion, and the May Pen works at $36 million.
The Minister said phase one of the Port Antonio project will be executed by the French firm, Vinci Construction Grands Project. It will entail replacement of approximately 10 kilometres of water mains; five kilometers of sewage works, and miscellaneous upgrading; and expansion of the town’s drainage system.
Work is scheduled to commence this month, and it should be completed within 18 months.
Dr, Chang advised that stage two will entail the provision of approximately five kilometres of transmission main; upgrading of the existing water treatment works and five kilometres of trunk sewer; three sewage pumping stations; and a sewage treatment facility.
The Minister said that the total cost of the project is approximately euro39.1 million, of which euro15 million is being provided by the European Investment Bank, and the remaining sum, by the Government and the National Water Commission (NWC).
The May Pen project, which will be executed by Bacchus Engineering, will consist of the extension of the water infrastructure from Woodside to Chapelton in Clarendon, and will include installation of some 5.5 km of 12-inch PVC pipelines. Work is scheduled to commence on May 26, and should be completed within six months.
“This is part of the first phase of works to be done by the NWC, which will result in more reliable water supply for the May Pen system. Approximately 160,000 people are expected to benefit from the upgrading works,” Dr. Chang said.