NWC Gets 30 New Pickup Trucks To Support Operational Activities

The National Water Commission (NWC) has added 30 new pickup trucks to its fleet of vehicles to boost service delivery to customers.

Valued at $230 million, the vehicles will support infrastructure maintenance and operational activities across all the NWC regions.

They were handed over by Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, on Tuesday (May 13) at the entity’s Marescaux Road office in Kingston.

Dr. Holness said the NWC is in a better position to acquire vehicles that will improve service to Jamaicans.

“As the service quality of the NWC is improving, so too is the investment being made by the NWC,” noting that the company has been able to extend an amnesty where over 7,000 Jamaicans have been assessed and have their outstanding bills written off.

“They are back on the system and we have over 30,000 more that we are in the process of assessing, and we will be able to rectify their situation so that they can be legitimate users of water. In other words, we will be able to convert them from consumers to customers and that is because of a change in the fiscal management of the affairs of the NWC,” he said.

Meanwhile, he cited the Government’s investment in several projects to improve access to potable water for Jamaicans.

These include $28 billion on a three-year project to improve the water infrastructure in north western parishes.

In addition, “we have several billion dollars invested in small water projects by Rural Water Supply Limited, where 38,000 Jamaicans in rural communities will benefit,” the Prime Minister noted.

He further cited the US$92-million investment in the Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant in Content, St. Catherine, which will bring 15 million gallons of water to benefit residents in Kingston, St. Andrew, Spanish Town, and Portmore.

Dr. Holness underscored that the Government’s prudent management of the economy has enabled the Administration to support projects that will provide water to citizens.

“The Government has largely solved the fiscal issues to have the financing to support a long-term investment programme in water… because we have managed the economy in such a way as to be able to do that,” he said.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Matthew Samuda, in his remarks, said the acquisition of the new pickup trucks represents an important milestone for NWC’s development programme.

He said the new additions will enable the entity to increase the rate of repairs, as well as reduce non-revenue water, and be more responsive to customers.

“What you are seeing here today is not just the commitment that has been articulated on multiple occasions, to serve you the public better. You are seeing the dividends for you paying your water bills on time; you are seeing the dividends being paid for sound economic management; you are seeing the dividends being paid because the (National) Water Commission is indeed well run,” he said.

He informed that a further 35 pickup trucks, eight water trucks and two ValuJet trucks will be procured to ensure that by 2030 all citizens have potable water and sanitation.

Vice President of Engineering and Capital Projects at NWC, Garth Jackson, noted that appropriate operational controls have been instituted to ensure the effective management of the vehicles.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Arlene Williams, for her part, said that the vehicles will buttress the billions of dollars of investments in new water projects that are in progress or are slated to come on stream shortly.

“They will also support the continued monitoring and maintenance of the more than 1,000 existing water facilities, thousands of kilometres of pipelines installed and over 350 storage tanks across the island,” she added.