Pedro River Water Supply System Launched

Residents of Pedro River, St. Ann, are happy that the Government, the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and the European Union (EU) have combined to have the Pedro River Water Supply System completed.
The system was officially handed over at a ceremony recently at the Pedrovian Community Benevolent Society’s office, Pedro River.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Water and Housing, Hon.Everald Warmington, and representatives from the Social Development Commission (SDC), Department of Cooperatives and Friendly Societies, Water Resource Authority (WRA), Jamaica Social Investment Fund(JSIF) and the European Union(EU) attended.
“Key to this achievement was the J$8.8 million grant provided by the European Union under the Poverty Reduction Programme, the Government of Jamaica and the community’s own contribution of $1.67 million,” said EU Poverty Reduction Programme Coordinator, Shakierah Cowan.
The cost of constructing the water supply system, including the installation of tanks, filters, chlorinators, laterals and distribution pipelines, was $10.5 million.
Miss Cowan noted that the investment reflected the Government’s and, by extension, JSIF’s commitment and determination to provide under-served communities across the island with access to potable water.
“To date, the Jamaica Social Investment Fund has disbursed $235 million to this process, with another $125 million allotted to projects already approved,” she said.
She added that about 75,000 persons were benefiting from the investment. She congratulated the residents on their achievement and cautioned them not to take the system for granted, but to maintain it.
Adorah Redway, a resident, told JIS News that she was very happy for the Pedro River Water Supply System.
“I live all the way in Concord, and I remember days when I had to wake up early and walk miles from Concord to Burn Ground (a spring in Pedro River), in order to fetch water in bottles or buckets, and struggle with it on my head all the way back home. But, today I am happy that I don’t have to do that anymore, because we have running water right in our house,” she said.
Daedrian Smith, another resident, said that she shared the pain of having to travel to the spring to fetch water for drinking and other domestic purposes.
“I used to have to go and fetch the water from Burn Ground, sometimes before I go to school, or after I returned from school in the days. But, now it is really a pleasure for me to be able to turn on a tap at home and get the same Burn Ground spring water in a glass,” she said.
“It is a good thing when we can move forward, as a country and as a people, and so we will have something to tell our children some 20 years down the road,” she said.