Residents of Lancewood, St. Elizabeth, Get Reliable Water Supply

Some 3,200 households in Lancewood, Middle Quarters, St. Elizabeth, are set to benefit from a reliable water supply.

This following Wednesday’s (February 21) commissioning into service of the $5.4 million Middle Quarters Greater Water Supply system, which will serve the community, by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness.

The Middle Quarters Greater Water Supply Project, which was completed in January, resulted from the Luana to Middle Quarters Pipeline Project, which was undertaken at a cost of $113 million.

Work was undertaken through a partnership between Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL) and the National Water Commission (NWC).

Prime Minister Holness underscored the importance of citizens having the precious commodity in their homes.

“Access to water is not just a public good, it is a right and you can’t survive without it; but it has moved a little bit beyond that. It’s not just access to water. People have access to water through a standpipe or through water carried to a central storage point. [But] people want to have access to water in their homes,” he said.

Mr. Holness noted that the project represented a commitment by the Government, which has been fulfilled, adding that the supply in Lancewood forms part of the Administration’s investment in water for Middle Quarters.

“What we have done is to expand the mains. There were small pipes before, there were older pipes [that] couldn’t carry any pressure. So now you have brand new ductile metal pipes that can handle the pressure and carry more volume, and we are branching off with the smaller pipes that run into the communities and you now have water,” he said.

“The other six communities that have not yet received [water] can have hope, because they see what has happened in Lancewood and they know it will take some time, but it will be done. It will be done because we have put the budget in for it; it will be done because it’s now a programme of the NWC and Rural Water. We have figured out how to make the two of them work together to solve this problem,” the Prime Minister added.

Mr. Holness also outlined that the water supply will be metered, as citizens will be expected to pay for the commodity.

“You are now consumers. So your demand is not just of the Government to provide water, you are now paying consumers and the NWC has an obligation to maintain the delivery and service standards to you,” he added.

For his part, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining and Member of Parliament for St. Elizabeth South West, Hon. Floyd Green, said it was “a great day for Lancewood”’, as the community was getting water for the first time.

Mr. Green encouraged residents who are yet to benefit from the project to be patient, as the Government is committed to ensuring that they are all supplied with water.

Other beneficiary communities of the newly commissioned water supply include: New Holland, Bailey Ground, Rock Land, Craigie, Diligent, Mahmi Hill, Whitehall, Spring Vale, Sherica Drive, Mayhill, Pocho Church, Point, Baptist and French Cotton.