IT was more than 60 years in coming, but residents of Hunts Town, Wellington, Top Pen and surrounding districts in St Mary saw a glimmer of hope Wednesday when their member of parliament signed a $46-million contract to provide piped water to their districts.

The project, which is scheduled to be completed in five months, will supply potable water to 215 families. Residents of the nearby communities are expected to get employment when the project gets underway.

Residents said Wednesday that they have been forced to collect water at one of two standpipes in the area or at springs located miles away in the hilly region of the parish.

“There are people who were born here and have died here and have never gotten water. I am a happy man today,” said Barton Oliver, councillor for the Hampstead Division.

Because of the chronic water shortage, many residents have moved from the area which traditionally provided goods and services to nearby Oracabessa and the resort town of Ocho Rios in the neighbouring parish of St Ann.

According to MP Robert Montague, the communities were neglected by the previous People’s National Party Government because they had been fiercely loyal to the Jamaica Labour Party, but he promised not to follow suit.

“Whether JLP or PNP, everyone must get water. For too long we have been playing politics with water. There is no community with only JLP or only PNP but communities with Jamaicans who need water to improve their quality of life,” Montague said.

At the same time, Montague warned residents in attendance at the signing of the Hunts Town/Wellington water supply scheme that stern action would be taken against anyone who attempted to steal material or to use extortion tactics.

“No bad man nuh up yah. No don no deh yah. So me don’t want to hear say no man name deh pan the payroll and him fold him hand say him a don fi the area so him nuh fi work,” Montaque said.

“Politics can help you get the work but you have to keep the work,” he said, and warned that anyone caught malingering would be instantly fired.

Montague, the state minister with responsibility for local government, also warned the residents to resist the temptation of stealing material slated for use on the project.

“All dem people who planning to tief the pipe and the coupling, don’t bother with it. I don’t want the project to be held up because some bad mind persons tief two lengths of the pipe,” Montague said.

The contract, which was awarded to Baccus Engineering Works Ltd, will be funded under the Government’s Rural Water Master Plan.