Water Workshop at Liguanea Club Dec. 10

The definition of social water and who is to pay for it, will top the agenda of a workshop to be held by the Ministry of Water and Housing, at the Liguanea Club, in Kingston, on Wednesday, December 10.
The Ministry’s Water Sector Policy and Action Plan, speak to social water, and seeks, to make “potable water available to all citizens in such quantity and at such quality as to sustain life, irrespective of the citizen’s ability to pay.”
A study on the framework concerning social water has been commissioned by the Ministry of Water and Housing, since there is currently no existing mechanism to deal with it. The discussions at the workshop will centre on the findings of this study, which is being done in association with the Rural Water Programme.
The workshop will also look at some common agreement which can be reached by all stakeholders, on the criteria for the provision of social water to citizens, and ascertain how this service should be paid for.
The first session, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., will give public sector water providers and allied interests an opportunity to voice their opinions on the issue of social water, while the second session, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. will target civil society and the Ministry’s private sector partners.
At the end of the sessions, the Ministry will examine the broad areas of agreement, and share with all relevant parties, the way forward on the issues surrounding social water.
The workshop will be held in association with the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Rural Water Programme.