Matthew Samuda, Minister of Water and Climate Change
By Nakinskie Robinson
Minister of Water and Climate Change, Matthew Samuda says the government’s multi-million dollar investment in the country’s water infrastructure will help secure future supplies amid gradually worsening drought conditions associated with the super El Niño.
The assurance comes after the National Water Commission announced a decline in water levels at its two main water storage facilities serving the Corporate Area.
Minister Samuda says the investments made in storage facilities across Jamaica are expected to better support drought resistance and water resilient efforts across the country.
“We are expecting completion of the Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant in May of next year. That means you go through this dry spell and the usual dry spell between February and April, and at that point we should be adding 15 million gallons of water to the network between Spanish Town, Southern St. Andrew and Kingston. We’ve also added four million gallons of water per day through a single arrangement in Portmore, with some privately held wells which were being underutilised.
“We’ve done significant work in Kingston and St. Andrew to cut the leakage. In 2023, where we went through our worst drought ever in Kingston, St. Andrew and the southeast side of the island, we were short daily 12 million gallons a day between Spanish Town and Kingston. So adding 15 million gallons a day will take significant pressure off of the Hermitage and Mona systems and the Tulloch Springs in St. Catherine which deals with most of Spanish Town into Kingston,” said Minister Samuda.
The NWC said the Hermitage Dam, which is now at 54.6 per cent of its total capacity, lost another three million gallons between Saturday and Sunday.
The Mona Reservoir, which has a total capacity of 620.6 million gallons, lost 5.7 million gallons of water.
Mr. Samuda added that the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) will also allow for the expansion of storage capacity and outmoded facilities which should reduce the impact of declining levels at the main catchment facilities.
“[And] not through NaRRA, but as a part of our resilience building exercise, we’re already in procurement for dozens and dozens of pumps to replace the old ones throughout the the network and reduce some of these issues. We have been buying generators steadily over the last few years and in some cases, where appropriate, like at the foot of Red Hills, we’re putting in solar and other renewables where possible,” said the minister, who was speaking on Radio Jamaica’s Hotline on Monday morning.