Communities In Clarendon South East Get Reliable Water Supply

Mitchell Town and surrounding communities in Clarendon South East, are now receiving a reliable water supply as a result of a $25-million upgrading project, financed by the National Water Commission (NWC) and the National Housing Trust NHT).

The project was selected under an initiative announced in 2017, where 100 communities (built in the first 10 years of the NHT’s existence) would be upgraded from a multibillion-dollar national programme for infrastructure transformation.

Speaking at the official commissioning of the Mitchell Town Pipeline Replacement Project, at the Mitchell Town Community Centre on April 20, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, said $7 billion is being deployed for capital projects in water.

He said the funds will facilitate 22 major water projects and 42 smaller systems for reliable water delivery across the island, adding that, last year, water systems were upgraded in every parish.

The Minister said 10,000 to 30,000 black tanks will be distributed to households in rural communities, which is part of a five-year programme to provide Jamaicans with 50,000 tanks, noting that every beneficiary of the tank programme will be provided with components for rainwater harvesting.

“We will provide the guttering and the connections,” he told the audience, adding that young persons will be trained in the communities and provided with a stipend to do the installation of the systems and to detect leaks. The tanks will be geotagged to enable efficiency of trucking in times of drought. Beneficiaries of the tanks will be selected in a similar way that persons are chosen for the social houses,” Senator Samuda said.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Clarendon South East, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., said the residents were not getting a consistent supply of water in their pipes.

“This is an exciting time, and we appreciate it. This is a big and important step in the right direction, as it will facilitate other developments in the communities,” Mr. Charles Jr. said.

The NHT contributed $3.7 million, and the NWC invested $22 million in the system. Some communities to be served include Mitchell Town, New Town Phases 1 and 2, Monymusk Housing Scheme, Lionel Town, Rocky Point, and Portland Cottage.