PM Breaks Ground For $16 Million Lancewood Pipeline Extension

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has broken ground for the Lancewood Pipeline Extension Project in Exchange, St. Ann, which will benefit over 400 residents in Lancewood and adjoining districts.

Being spearheaded by the National Water Commission (NWC) at a cost of $16 million, the project will address long-standing supply challenges through the installation of approximately one kilometre of new four-inch polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes to replace aging infrastructure.

“The works will entail the replacement of old, encrusted pipes that were used for distribution. These are the pipes that would take water from the main…to your house,” Dr. Holness said at the groundbreaking ceremony on Friday (Sept. 27).

He said there are plans to undertake a larger $300 million project to upgrade the main pipeline to a 10-inch ductile iron pipe system, which is stronger and will last much longer.

“We have already spent quite a bit to improve the water pumping facilities and the strategy behind this entire investment is to be able to move water from the pumping station to the storage tanks, and then, of course, from the storage tanks through to the new distribution lines,” the Prime Minister explained.

He said the Government is committed to deliver on its promise of improving water supply across rural communities, highlighting significant investment in the development of water infrastructure over the last several years.

For her part, Acting Vice President of Operations at NWC, Dr. Phillipa Campbell-Francis, noted the significant investment the entity has made in Exchange over the past four years, with total expenditure exceeding $300 million.

She urged the residents to regularise their accounts and pay their water bills to support ongoing improvements.

Residents and other community stakeholders welcomed the project.

Principal of the United Learning Centre (ULC) Preparatory School, Andrea Levy, said it will ensure more reliable water supply.

“Normally some persons would have to catch the rainwater and store it, some persons purchase water from trucks and when the water does come in their taps, they have to store water. So, they have to have barrels and containers to store water and it’s a challenge. Now, I want to tell the Government many thanks,” Ms. Levy said.