More Water For Residents Of Junction And Other Areas In St. Elizabeth

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, on Wednesday (October 23), officially commissioned the $630-million Essex Valley Water Supply Project in Junction, St. Elizabeth, to reduce water-related challenges in the parish.

More than 20,000 residents in 3,300 households now have the benefit of receiving potable piped water that will be supplied by the National Water Commission (NWC).

Among the areas to receive the commodity are Junction, Long Hill, Myersville, Warminster, Content, Nain, Stephens Run, Dunder Hill, Ballards Valley and Cheapside.

In his address, the Prime Minister pointed out that under the project, the NWC laid approximately 11 kilometres of transmission pipes and fittings from the Long Hill well station to the well site and booster station at Nain.

Additionally, he noted that pipelines and fittings were also laid between Nain and Junction as well as from Long Hill to Junction.

“As a result, there should be improvement in the quality of service to customers,” Mr. Holness said.

“We should see a restoration of service to customers in the commercial and highly populated town of Junction, reduction in maintenance and operation costs for repairs and leaks, and the reinstatement of roadways and supply regulation,” he added.

The Prime Minister said the project has eliminated the need for the trucking of water in the various communities and will lead to greater customer satisfaction from residents who now have the opportunity to get “regularised” under the NWC.

“I want the people here to understand that we value you and we are putting the money where our value is. Help us to maintain the service; help us to ensure that the cost is affordable to everyone by each contributing by paying your bill,” he encouraged.

Junction resident, Racquel Johnson, told JIS News that the project is significant in the lives of the people of St. Elizabeth.

“This is very important [and] I love to see the people come out and support this. People on a whole need to see these things, especially the people that will benefit. [We] welcome the water,” she said.