THE Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) signed two contracts last Wednesday, valued at $24 million, for the rehabilitation of two water supply systems in Portland.

Work on both projects will begin January with funding provided by the European Union.

More than half the total, $15 million, will finance the repair of the Bybrook water system, damaged during flood rains last year.

The Bellevue domestic water supply, which was destroyed by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, will also be restored at a cost of $9 million. The system will feed a community of some 600 people.

Bybrook is located in Western Portland with adjoining communities being Ann’s Delight, Skibo, Chepstowe and Chovey; while Bellevue is situated in the Rio Grande Valley area of Eastern Portland.

The duration of the Bellevue project will be four months, while work on the Bybrook system should be completed within six months.

The communities have a combined population of some 600 residents.

The work to be done on Bellevue includes construction of a small cobblestone dam and a tank, providing chlorination and filtrating systems, and the laying of 6,700 metres of pipelines.

Grace-Ann Miller, JSIF human resource manager, says the agency – whose job it is to implement infrastructure projects to alleviate poor living conditions islandwide – had spent more than $126 million so far on various water schemes.

The projects to upgrade, construct, or rehabilitate systems were done in 33 communities, including seven in Portland at a cost of $19 million.