Construction is progressing on the Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant in Content, St Catherine—a major national infrastructure investment that is set to significantly strengthen water supply reliability and drought resilience for communities across St Catherine, Portmore, and southern Kingston and St Andrew.

On Thursday, January 29, Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change Matthew Samuda, accompanied by Member of Parliament for the area, Natalie Neita Garvey, along with other senior officials, toured the project site to review construction progress and reaffirm the government’s commitment to delivering the facility by May 2027.

The US$92 million (approximately J$14.5 billion) project will deliver 15 million imperial gallons of water per day (MiGD) once completed, creating the additional supply capacity needed to address historic water shortfalls and support continued residential, commercial, and industrial growth across the region.

Speaking during the site tour, Samuda highlighted the importance of the project to national water resilience. “This plant is designed to deliver approximately 15 million gallons of water per day to St Catherine, Portmore, and southern Kingston and St Andrew, and it will fundamentally transform water resilience in this area,” the minister said.

He noted that while the country will experience additional dry periods before the project is completed, the scale of the Rio Cobre facility directly responds to the severe shortages experienced during previous droughts. During the worst drought on record in February 2022, these areas faced a cumulative shortfall of approximately 12 million gallons per day—a gap the new plant is designed to exceed, even as work continues to reduce system losses such as leaks and illegal connections.

Minister Samuda also emphasised the broader economic and development benefits of the investment. “This is a major nation-building project that creates the base for growth across three parishes and provides the certainty that households and businesses need,” he said.

Progress to Date

Works at the Rio Cobre site are now well underway. To date, progress has moved to design works being 75 per cent complete, with all process designs finalised and most structural designs substantially advanced. Procurement is also well progressed, with approximately 70 per cent of plant equipment already secured, including pumps, generators, and major electrical panels.

On the construction side, initial works included site excavation and ground preparation, during which unsuitable soil was identified and replaced to ensure structural stability. Concrete works for water-retaining structures are now underway.

Samuda took the opportunity to reaffirm the Government’s commitment to ensuring that communities located near major water infrastructure developments directly benefit from improved water access, noting that similar commitments have already been honoured in neighbouring communities and will be extended to residents in the immediate area upon completion.

Meanwhile, Natalie Neita Garvey, who welcomed the progress of the project and its significance for constituents, shared, “Today’s tour is very encouraging. I am pleased with the progress being made by VINCI Construction and with the strong working relationship that has been established with the surrounding community. It is important for us that the project is progressing smoothly, on time, and within budget. While I look forward to its completion, I am especially pleased knowing that communities along this belt, including Spanish Town and neighbouring areas, will ultimately benefit from improved and more reliable water supply. This is a project the community can truly be proud of.”

The Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant forms part of a broader programme of strategic water infrastructure investments being implemented by the Government to strengthen national water security, improve reliability during drought periods, and modernise Jamaica’s water distribution network in the face of growing demand and climate pressures.

The project is being delivered through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement involving VINCI Construction Grands Projets, PanJam Group, and Eppley Limited, with financing support from Sagicor Jamaica Limited, Proparco, and IDB Invest. Construction has also generated over 120 jobs with 35 persons employed from the surrounding communities, 22 of whom are females.