Unprecedented Investments in Water – Minister Samuda

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the Government is investing at an “unprecedented rate” in the country’s water infrastructure.

“There is no corner, no crevice of Jamaica that we are not currently doing investments in our water sector,” he said.

“With these projects, we will prove that it is possible to make Jamaica water-resilient,” he added.

Minister Samuda was speaking at the recent ground-breaking ceremony for the Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant Project in St. Catherine, which will provide 15 million gallons of water to benefit approximately 600,000 residents in Kingston and St. Andrew, and Spanish Town and Portmore in St. Catherine.

The Minister said that the project is a critical one, as it will ensure reliable access to potable water for citizens.

“This project was the one of the most critical to improving… service delivery, and I am happy to report that as of today we have entered the implementation phase,” he said.

He noted that with the works to be undertaken, areas like Portmore and Duhaney Park will no longer have challenges with unreliable supply.

“My sincere hope, ladies and gentlemen, for the bureaucrats and teams that would’ve worked to get this project to this point, that you are buoyed by this milestone. That you recommit to going at another project and for this one that took 15 years to get to this point, the next one will take one and a half years because we have taken the learnings and lessons from this project and we are better able to implement,” Minister Samuda said.

Other projects include completing the Forest Hill water line, which will provide potable water for Red Hills and Cooper’s Hill in St. Andrew, the Minister said, noting that works will also be undertaken in the western end of the island, including Negril.

Minister Samuda estimates that US$3 billion in investment is needed to complete the national projects by year 2030.