St. Ann and St. Elizabeth Catchment Tanks to be Rehabilitated by August

The Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, is scheduled to complete rehabilitation of a number of water catchment tanks serving several communities in St. Ann and St. Elizabeth, by August.

State Minister, Hon. Ian Hayles, who made the announcement during his Sectoral Debate presentation in the House on June 18, said the tanks, rehabilitation of which is currently underway, include those serving the communities of Epworth, Friendship, York Castle, and Farm in St. Ann, and Good Hope, Evans Corner, Bagbale Mountain, and Quick Step in St. Elizabeth.

They are part of some 282 tanks serving communities mainly in the parishes of St. Ann, Manchester, St. Elizabeth and Hanover, which are earmarked for rehabilitation at an estimated cost of approximately $250 million, under the Rainwater Harvesting and Catchment Tank Rehabilitation Programme.

“Rural Water Supply Limited has been mandated to carry out the contracting works by engaging capable local artisans in conjunction with the various Parish Councils to carry out these refurbishing works. Rural Water Supply has also been mandated to prepare a database of all catchment tanks, constituency by constituency, their size, conditions, the amount of people they serve, and how these will be impacted during the dry season, due to inadequate rainfall,” he said.

Mr. Hayles advised that the Ministry aims to repair most of the tanks and hand them over to the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, “before the next dry season.”

He further informed that rehabilitation work was completed on catchment tanks serving the communities of Camrose, Kensington, and Brown Hill in St. James; Bushy Park, Manchester; and Top Hill and Seafield, St. Catherine, during the 2012/13 fiscal year.

Mr. Hayles pointed out that there are approximately 65 wayside tanks located in several areas that are currently without piped water. These tanks, he said, will also be repaired and serviced by the Rapid Response Unit.

The State Minister made his presentation on the theme: ‘The Urgency is Now!’

Contact: Douglas McIntosh