Rhyne Park Water System Upgrade Nearing Completion

Upgrade of the Rhyne Park Water supply system in St. James, which will benefit scores of residents, is close to completion.

This was disclosed by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, who visited the facility on Friday (August 18).

The Minister viewed work being conducted on the number one and two pumping stations in the Rhyne Park community.

The project is being spearheaded by the National Water Commission (NWC) at a cost of more than $600 million.

It aims to increase water supply coverage; reduce the downtime associated with high turbidity and equipment failure and improve service reliability.

The upgrading is being undertaken in two phases, with the first comprising mechanical and electrical upgrading of the two pumping stations.

“This includes significant investment in storage capacity to put in new tanks. But it also, importantly, includes investment on the mechanical side. We’ve changed out the pumping infrastructure, and we are now able to ensure that we can provide in excess of 1.1 million gallons daily,” Senator Samuda outlined.

Phase two includes the procurement and construction of five kilometres of 400mm ductile iron pipes to transfer water from the Martha Brae trunk main, located near the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa, to the 500,000-gallon storage reservoir at Rhyne Park phase three.

Minister Samuda, who was accompanied on the tour by Minister of Tourism and Member of Parliament for St. James East Central, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, added that work is being done on the distribution lines to ensure that it is a modern infrastructure with the appropriate resilience built in.

“So, this is just another example of the significant investment that is being made in water infrastructure. But that investment is being made in a very targeted and sequential manner, considering the long-term planning that I know Minister Bartlett, as Member of Parliament and as Minister, has put into this area because of how close it is to the tourism belt,” he underscored.

For his part, Mr. Bartlett thanked Mr. Samuda, Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, and the NWC for ensuring that the project is coming together.

When completed, the project will benefit some 8,000 residents in the Rhyne Park housing scheme as well as the surrounding communities of Edmund Ridge, Spot Valley and Mount Zion.