Residents of St Ann are set to receive greater access to potable water after the Minister with portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Matthew Samuda announce a $500 million fund to upgrade water systems in the parish.

Samuda, who made the announcement on Thursday (April 20) during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Mamee Bay Water Wheel Preservation and Beautification Project in the parish said that upgrade in the water systems will be done over the course of three years.

“I am here acknowledging the work that has been done on this water wheel and using it as an opportunity to state that within the next three years, in excess of 500 million of capital will be deployed into the upgrading of water systems in St Ann. That is nothing small. That is a particularly large investment in the distribution, storage, and processing capacity for the citizens of St Ann,” said Samuda.

The Minister noted that significant work has been carried out in the parish with the commissioning of the Exchange and Bonham Spring Water Supply system as well as the Liberty Storage Tank Replacement Project which have yielded benefits to residents served by the system and the National Water Commission (NWC).

Likewise, the Minister hailed the Mamee Bay Water Wheel Preservation and Beautification Project as an important monument, being one of the first that was instrumental in the development of Jamaica’s agricultural sector.

“Jamaica led the way and provided portable water in many of its parish centres before much developed world, but we have fallen behind and I think in recent times, we have been playing our part to catch up,” the minister said.

Last year the Tourism Product Development Company and the NWC signed a memorandum of understanding for the beautification and preservation of the Mammee Bay Water Wheel.

This agreement saw the NWC providing 3.4 million dollars towards the paving, fencing and lighting of the water wheel and its environs, while TPDCO and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust carried out preservation activities including signage and landscaping.