More water needed to serve Manchester’s growing population

MILE GULLY, Manchester:

Despite the recent opening of a 16,000-gallon water shop with an impending 30,000-gallon water facility expected to ease the water woes in northwest Manchester communities, the Member of Parliament Mikael Phillips has indicated that more will still have to be done to adequately serve residents.

Phillips, who was speaking at the opening of a $14-million water shop made possible through the Manchester Municipal Corporation and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development on Friday, said only 30 per cent of the constituency has potable water.

“Communities of Comfort Hall, Evergreen with one of the largest water tables in the parish of Manchester, more than Porus, get water from St Elizabeth. About four going into five months we haven’t gotten any water down there. The pump at Union keeps on breaking down…”

He said other areas served by the main water source in Pepper, St Elizabeth, and Porus in the parish, get an inconsistent and often insufficient supply.

“The hills of Huntley, where the water would come and stop, get water probably two or three days a week. Manchester is in a crisis when it comes to water. The investment and the expansion of Manchester, the infrastructure is not keeping up pace with it.”

Phillips said that the poor supply of the commodity continues to hinder the growth of the constituency and the parish.

“We are supposed to get a new high school [building] [Mile Gully High] and one of the hindrances for the construction of that high school is to have running water and up to now I can’t even see where that water will be coming from.”

Phillips, who lauded the initiative of the Minister of Local Government Desmond McKenzie, for his assistance in supplying water to the constituency, said these efforts won’t solve the problem overnight, but will make a significant impact.

“This water shop is important to the surrounding communities that will greatly benefit from it. Northwest has quite a bit of parish tanks and what we have been doing through the councillors and myself is that we have been using the CDF (Community Development Fund) and installing 2000-gallons water tanks at various points across the constituency. If there is anything else that we ask, is that the ministry helps us in putting in more of these way side tanks that I will match with my CDF with the delivery of water.”

While many continue to abuse these free water supply systems, even as the Government continues to find ways to fix the issue of water shortage despite the challenges, McKenzie sent a strong warning to the residents.

“We can’t just snap our fingers and the problems are solved overnight. But every step that we take is a step in the right direction. The water here is not for sale. This is social water provided by the Ministry of Local Government; this is treated water…”

McKenzie added: “People use this water to establish car wash, for farm and the one that is more disgusting than anything else is that they drive up their vans and they take loads of water and go and sell it to people. This is not something we are going tolerate. In one particular parish we have already caught two of the culprits red-handed.”

McKenzie said it is a commitment the Government has made to continue to fulfil the water needs, first in the areas where the need is greatest.

In addition to the three water shops that have already been opened in the parish, McKenzie said Rural Water Programme will be undertaking a major renovation project for the restoration of the water facility in Plowden district, to the tune of $12 million.