Over 26,000 St. Andrew Residents to Benefit from $1 Billion Ferry to Rock Pond Pipeline Project

More than 26,000 residents in Red Hills and surrounding communities in St. Andrew will benefit from a more reliable water supply under the more than $1-billion Ferry to Rock Pond Pipeline Project.

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, broke ground for the undertaking on Tuesday (May 27) at the Forest Hill Deep Well.

The project involves the installation of approximately 7,220 metres of 12-inch ductile iron pipeline from the Ferry Pump Station to Topaz Crescent; construction of two relift stations, two 50,000-gallon storage tanks; and the installation of duty and standby pumps.

Rehabilitation works will also be carried out at the existing Ferry compound to improve operational efficiency.

The new pipeline project will serve the communities of Red Hills, Belvedere, Rock Pond, Cyprus Hall, Mosquito Valley, Plantation Heights, Brentwood, Stanmore, Tom Cringle and Sterling Castle.

Work is expected to begin in June and completed within 16 months.

Dr. Holness in his address said that the Ferry to Rock Pond Pipeline Project will address long-standing water woes in the beneficiary communities.

He noted that in his interactions with several citizens, the most common complaint has been about unreliable water access.

“They would have created a wonderful community and they do not have reliable access to this basic commodity of water,” he pointed out.

Member of Parliament for St. Andrew North Western, Duane Smith, expressed gratitude on behalf of the residents, while Member of Parliament for St. Andrew Western, Anthony Hylton, pointed out that the project will support the pace of development of the area.

“Those brave souls who have started their construction and have been living in the area, some of them for as many as 30-odd years, they are today very, very relieved. We have to agree that everything about the timing of this project, the scale and scope of this project and the technology, as I understand it, is right,” Mr. Hylton said.

Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security and Member of Parliament for St. Andrew West Rural, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, urged the residents to exercise patience and understanding when the work begins.

“This Ferry to Rock Pond Project forms part of a wider thrust to modernise and expand Jamaica’s water infrastructure. We are also aware that this process may cause temporary disruption and we ask for understanding and your cooperation. The long-term benefit, I’m sure, will outweigh all of the inconvenience that you will face, and so we’re asking for patience,” she appealed.

The Ferry to Rock Pond Pipeline Project is being carried out by the National Water Commission (NWC) through its Engineering and Capital Projects Department.

This is the third major water investment announced by the Government since the start of this fiscal year, which will impact Kingston and St. Andrew and parts of St. Catherine.

The others are the Munroe Road to Seaview Avenue Pipeline Project in St. Andrew and the construction of the Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant in Content, St. Catherine.

These projects, said Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Matthew Samuda, are geared towards strengthening water resilience in the Corporate Area and St. Catherine by 2027.

“Many will recall the droughts of 2022 and 2023, where the eastern side of the island was disproportionately affected. During that period… the Kingston and St. Andrew [and] Portmore areas were short 12 gallons a day,” Minister Samuda said.

“We are targeting water resilience for Kingston, St. Andrew, Portmore and Spanish Town for 2027. These projects will culminate in 2027 but you’re seeing bits and pieces of them start to ease the pressure,” he pointed out.