The water supply system in Clarks Town, Trelawny, has been upgraded to serve National Water Commission (NWC) customers in the area and its environs.
On March 6, Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Minister, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, officially commissioned into service eight kilometres of pipeline in the Clarks Town Water Supply Pipeline Replacement project, which was completed in two phases at a cost of just under $91 million.
In his address at the ceremony, the Minister noted that in all communities where water is turned on, opportunities are presented for economic and social development. “There can be little or no development without water,” Mr. Pickersgill emphasised.
The Minister said the Government places a high premium on the provision of potable water to Jamaicans, as the commodity has a tremendous impact on sustainable development, particularly in rural communities.
“This administration realises that water is a very empowering resource and that its impact on sustainable development, particularly in our rural communities is without parallel. So, we are working hard to ensure that our rural communities receive a steady supply of this precious resource and by doing so, we are indeed infusing them with new life,” he added.
The Minister pointed out that the pipeline replacement project forms part of efforts to reduce the NWC’s financial losses, as several leaks were discovered on the old pipeline.
“This means that the replacement project was necessary as there was a serious problem with leaks which impacted your supply, resulted in substantial financial and physical losses for the NWC. In fact, I understand that approximately 25 leaks were detected, which contributed to an unacceptably high 79 per cent in non-revenue water,” he noted.
Mr. Pickersgill said the project would improve service to some 6, 675 persons in the communities of Clarks Town, Georgia, Spicy Hill and Silver Sands.