Jamaica Earmarks Funds for Water Supply Upgrades

Funds for rehabilitating and expanding the water supply and distribution system of Port Antonio, Jamaica, have been allocated by the Jamaican Government.

The $26.4m Port Antonio water sewerage and drainage project will improve the existing drainage system and build a new central waste water collection and treatment system in the region.

The project, which is jointly funded by the Jamaican Government and the European Investment Bank, will be delivered by the National Water Commission.

The project includes replacing 5km of old water mains between Port Antonio and Williamsfield, and the rehabilitation and expansion of water intake, treatment plant and pumping station in Grant’s Level to a capacity of 16,000 cubic metres per day.

Other works involve the installation of 16,000 household sewer connections, construction of a 5km trunk sewer of 200mm and three pumping stations, and the construction of a 720m³ sewerage treatment plant in Turtle Crawl to serve 7,610 households.

Installation of bulk flow meters for leakage control contract, 80% of leak detection and repairs, digital maps and the design field assessments for water supply, sewage and drainage works were completed last month.

Work on the project began in April 2005 and will be finished by December 2010, according to the Jamaican Ministry of Water and Housing.