Building a Better Jamaica

Thursday, April 08, 2010
Jamaica Observer

WATER Minister Horace Chang has promised improvement in the city's water supplies in the next three weeks as supplies at Kingston's two main reservoirs — the Mona and Hermitage dams — dropped to critical levels.

Chang, who toured the Hermitage Dam yesterday, said his ministry was working on several plans to have a number of wells in and around sections of the Corporate Area up and running.

"This plan is expected to bring an additional eight to ten million gallons of water to customers in the Corporate Area by the end of the month," Chang said.

The minister pointed out that the Hermitage Dam, which can store close to 400 million gallons of water, was down to 25 per cent of capacity. The more than 80-year-old dam serves more than 50 per cent of National Water Commission customers in the Corporate Area.

"We are now working to bring on some new wells in coming weeks which will help to stabilise the water situation in the Corporate Area," Chang said, adding that there would still be lock-offs in some areas.

The Government said last week that its failure to get a $500-million loan from the National Housing Trust had caused a setback in its drought mitigation programme.