Rural Water Limited to Spend $4.1 Billion on Water Projects

Approximately $4.1 billion is to be spent by the Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL) over the next three years to restore and upgrade water supply systems in rural communities.

The undertaking is in keeping with Government’s policy to ensure that all households have access to potable water and adequate sanitation by 2015.

Speaking with JIS News, Managing Director of RWSL, Audley Thompson, informed that some 26 projects will be undertaken over the three-year period.

These include: repair or restoration work on the Cascade/Claremont/Jericho water system in Eastern Hanover and the Agualta Vale pumping station in St. Mary; and replacement and upgrading of water mains in Orange Hill, Westmoreland.

RWSL, instituted in April 1983, is wholly owned by the Government of Jamaica and has a mandate to improve the basic sanitary/health conditions by increasing the coverage of potable water and sanitation services in poor rural areas.

Mr. Thompson explained that “the agency investigates rural communities that are without water then identifies the closest water supply to that community, designs a plan for the work to be done and invites tenders and employs contractors.”

“RWSL also supervises the construction and when the work is completed, they hand over the water supply system to the relevant agency; whether it is National Water Commission (NWC) or parish council to operate the system,” he further outlined.

The Managing Director told JIS News that the agency has also undertaken several projects as part of its corporate responsibility and contribution.

“We have carried out a rain water harvesting system at the Police Benevolent Centre in St. Elizabeth, where injured policemen are housed,” he informed.

This project, he said, was done to help in the reduction of the facility’s water bill with the team implementing a guttering and pumping system, as well as installing some tanks.

Rainwater harvesting projects were also undertaken at the Maldon and Chatsworth Primary schools in South St. James.

RWSL is an agency under the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change.

Contact: Shelly-Ann Irving