NWC to Carry out Projects to Improve Water Supply

The National Water Commission (NWC) will, over the next two to three years, carry out several projects to improve access to water supply and upgrade sewage treatment facilities. Minister of State for Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Dr. Fenton Ferguson, made the announcement during his contribution to the 2007/08 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (June 6). Among the projects that will be carried out is the US$80 million Kingston Metropolitan Area Water Supply Rehabilitation project, which is expected to benefit over one million Jamaicans in St. Catherine and the Corporate Area. The NWC will also undertake the Harmony Hall/Braco/Runaway Water Supply project, which will involve the construction of a new transmission and distribution network from Trelawny to St. Ann at a cost of US$16.8 million. This project was recently approved by Cabinet and will get underway shortly. Additionally, the Port Antonio Water Sewerage and Drainage project will be carried out at a cost of US$40 million. “Designs and other preparatory works for this project are now complete for the project to move towards major construction,” the State Minister told the House.
Dr. Ferguson further pointed to the US$ 50 million Kingston Water and Sanitation project, which will involve major rehabilitation and improvement work on the major water treatment facilities in the Corporate Area, including the Seaview Water Treatment Plant in Stony Hill; the Constant Spring Water Treatment Plant; the Mona Water Treatment Plant, and the Hope Water Filter Plant. In the meantime, he informed that phase one of the US$55 million Soapberry Sewerage Phase 1 project is now underway in Ferry, St. Catherine, which will “provide 18 million gallons of sewerage treatment capacity per day to assist in the protection of the Kingston Harbour as well as the public health of the Corporate Area. This is the largest wastewater project ever undertaken by any Caribbean government.” The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), the National Housing Trust (NHT), and private developers Ashtrom Limited.