KINGSTON (JIS):
THE MINISTRY of Water and Housing will be completing several water supply systems and a treatment plant during the next calendar year.
Among those slated for completion are the Huddersfield/Mango Valley Water Supply, the Broadgate Water Supply systems in St. Mary, Kellits Water Supply in Clarendon, the Santa Cruz Water Supply in St. Elizabeth and the Redwood, Princessfield, Colbeck/Planters and Buxton Town Water Supply systems in St. Catherine.
State Minister in the Ministry of Water and Housing, Harry Douglas, made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2004/05 Sectoral Debate in Gordon House on Wednesday .
Meanwhile, the Roaring River Treatment Plant in Westmoreland is being expanded and is scheduled for completion in February 2005. The Junior Minister said that the plant was being expanded to improve the quality of treatment at the facility, as well as to treat significantly more water (approximately two million gallons per day) than the old facility.
He noted that the development of the plant was significant for two reasons. "Firstly, it is well known that this area is endemic to typhoid and adequate treatment is therefore essential to safeguard public health. More significantly, the increased supply from this new treatment plant will not only satisfy the 29,000 population of Darliston and its environs, but will extend supply to such areas as Barney Side, Stuie, Cornwall Mountain, Mackfield, Cold Spring, Mount Stewart, Castle Mountain and the town of Savanna-la-Mar," Mr. Douglas said.
Meanwhile, the State Minister divulged that residents in the surrounding areas would have to be relocated, arguing that "We cannot spend this kind of money to put in water supply systems and then allow human activity to compromise the source of the water. It is for this reason why we are taking action to relocate a substantial part of the community of Roaring River, where the existing lifestyle of many residents pose a serious threat to the quality of the water source through contamination."
The residents, he informed, were to be relocated to 20 hectares of land from the West Indies Sugar Company. Discussions, he said, were also advanced with the National Housing Development Corporation (NHDC) to develop the property and with the National Housing Trust (NHT) to fund the development.
"The beneficiaries are expected to pay for the lots using their NHT entitlement, for which most of them are qualified," he explained.
