Rural Water Supply Ltd cranks up parish projects

WESTERN BUREAU:

Montego Bay Mayor Homer Davis, who is also chairman of the Rural Water Supply Limited, is seeking to deliver on its mandate by rehabilitating eight catchment tanks by March amid warnings by local meteorologists of a worsening drought.

Chairman Davis made the declaration during his address at yesterday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a 300,000-gallon water tank in Somerton, St James.

The project, valued at J$300 million, will see water being collected from the Canaan pumping station and distributed to communities such as Goodwill, Content, Orange, Lottery, Sunderland, and even as far away as Irwin Heights.

“Catchment tanks are being installed in 24 communities across Jamaica, which will benefit some 6,000 Jamaicans. I’m also happy to inform you that 12 catchment tanks have been rehabilitated, and works are ongoing on eight others which are to be completed by the end of this financial year,” said Davis.

He disclosed that 17 other water-supply projects were being undertaken across Jamaica, including the Hurlock system in St James. He also said pipes were being procured for the Maroon Town and Tangle River water project in the southern end of the parish.

Davis’ update follows last month’s meeting of the St James Municipal Corporation, where he announced that he would be speaking with the National Water Commission to determine how water would be supplied to the parish’s rural communities during a planned two-week period of water restriction.

The Barbados-based Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology stated last month that Jamaica would be one of several Caribbean countries where long-term drought might continue throughout 2020. That prediction followed one made by the Meteorological Service of Jamaica in December, where the entity said Jamaica would experience drought conditions similar to last year.

“I want to use this opportunity to plead to the beneficiaries of this system to play their part to ensure its protection, that the infrastructure is maintained properly, that your bills are paid in accordance with what you use, and that the precious resource is not wasted, especially during times of drought,” said Davis.