Prime Minister Andrew Holness says that with a substantially larger budget, the National Water Commission (NWC) will spend J$5 billion in capital works.

Holness, who made the announcement as he provided an update on Government drought mitigation efforts, says some 165,000 Jamaicans will benefit from this investment. Additionally, more than $2.5 billion will be invested in sewage infrastructure work. 

The prime minister told Parliament last Tuesday (April 9), “Jamaicans should note that this year’s budget allocations to the Rural Water Supply Limited is the largest in our history, and is in excess of J$1.6 billion”, noting that he had highlighted some of these projects in his contribution to the recently concluded 2024/2024 Budget Debate.

Pointing out that amid Jamaica’s worst drought last year, the Corporate Area was under-supplied potable water by just over 12 million gallons daily, Holness reiterated that the government broke ground for the Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant in Content, St Catherine to augment water supply.

Detailing some major water projects 

When completed in two years, this plant will provide 15.5 million gallons daily, supporting distribution in Kington and the wider St Andrew, Portmore, and Spanish Town. Holness articulated that this US$78 million public/private partnership (PPP) will move Jamaica closer to its 2030 national development goals. 

He pointed to the Negril Water Improvement Project, which will see the construction of a 10 million gallons per day water treatment plant in Roaring River, Westmoreland, at an estimated cost of US$20 million. The structure of the water treatment process consists of raw water intake, a splitter box, sedimentation tanks with sludge draw-off system, sand filters with backwash unit, chlorine contact tank with booster pumps, chemical mixing and dosing building, control room with laboratory, office and operator facilities.

In addition, there will be a solar farm to power the operations of this treatment plant. The overall effectiveness of the intervention at Roaring River to improve service level in the extreme western section of the island. Meanwhile, Negril must be complemented by improvement activities to those systems adjacent to the focal target area. 

“This will ensure the sustainability of the intervention as well as, in the medium to long term, adequacy of supply to current and future demands. In light of this, the activities to be undertaken as part of this project are contiguous for an effective and lasting intervention. I want to assure Jamaicans, that we are far advanced in developing other critical national projects,“ Prime Minister Holness explained.

These projects include but are not limited to the replacement of critical supply mains in Western Jamaica, including the mains from the Martha Brae into St James, and the Negril supply lines at a cost of US$70 million. This project is expected to commence later this year and will take 24 months.

Update on expansion of Corporate Area water supply systems

This is in addition to the re-development of the Hermitage Dam, which is 95 years old, and was built with service guarantees of 50 years. As such, the NWC is in the project design phase to replace the dam wall and increase its water volume capacity.

Similarly, Holness stated that plans are in place for the expansion of the Mona Reservoir, which was built for a much smaller population. The completion of the project assessment phases for the development of the Mahogany Vale system (which includes the repair of the Yallahs pipeline and expansion of the Mona Reservoir) and the land use studies. 

Also, the Government is procuring 10,000 black tanks to be distributed this year at a cost of J$250 million, which is a part of the prime minister’s commitment to provide 50,000 tanks to Jamaicans.