Hellshire, Newlands get water supply, infrastructural improvements from NWC

The National Water Commission (NWC) and its co-management partner Miya Jamaica are currently installing pipelines throughout Newlands, bringing formal water supply to the community located in Portmore, St Catherine.

During a tour on May 17, Senator Matthew Samuda, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, visited the community where NWC and Miya are currently conducting the Portmore Non-Revenue Water Reduction Programme. As part of the project, the entities are targeting leak detection and repairs, as well as reduction in commercial losses through metering, regularisation and disconnections.

This type of work was especially important in Newlands which has numerous informal settlements and illegal connections.

Samuda noted that in Newlands the water losses were approximately 200,000 gallons per day. This, he said, was not sustainable.

“We simply cannot pump water into the ground, and we will have to make every drop count,” he said, noting that the project in the area comes at a cost of approximately $18 million.

Already, there has been major progress in Newlands with water losses trending downwards, and more than two kilometres of new pipelines installed. Some residents have also applied to become formal customers of the NWC.

Both Garwaine Johnson, NWC’s regional manager for St Catherine and Clarendon, and Damara Lawson, councillor for the Southboro Division, were pleased with the willingness of residents to apply for their supply.

While in Portmore, Samuda also visited the Hellshire Phase 3 Booster Station that was constructed to bring water to the residents of Fort Hill Estate, particularly the elevated sections of the community. With this new system, the community members now have approximately 18 hours of water supply per day.

In expressing appreciation for the project, Fitz Jackson, the member of parliament for St Catherine Southern, said: “I’m very welcoming of this occasion because, indeed for a while now, we have had intermittent supply of water at this side of the constituency.”

Responding to Jackson, Samuda said the project is an important one and indicates that the concerns of residents are being heard and responded to. He added that he is pleased that Fort Hill citizens are now getting improved water supply.

The Hellshire Phase 3 Booster Station project was completed in January 2023, costing approximately J$8 million. Almost 500 people will benefit from the project.