BELVEDERE, St James — A number of water-challenged communities in western Jamaica could benefit from plans by Government to investigate the feasibility of the Seven Rivers/Belvedere water source in southern St James.

Water and Housing Minister Horace Chang told the Observer West this week that he had “contacted the Water Resources Authority and asked them to investigate the reliability and volume of water available at the source”.

Provided the study goes well, the next step would be to “have the National Water Commission design and examine the cost of a system which will provide water to sections of South West St James, a section of eastern Hanover and eastern Westmoreland,” Chang told the Observer West. Chang’s announcement followed a call for such a study from Homer Davis, the JLP councillor for the Cambridge Division.

According to Davis, who is also the JLP constituency caretaker for the Southern St James constituency, sufficient water exists at the Seven Rivers and Belvedere water source to supply Montpelier, Bickersteth, Roehampton, Comfort Hall, Wales Pond, Cambridge, Fern, Welcome Hall, Springfield, Kensington and Anchovy.

“Most of these areas are without water and in some instances they receive a very limited supply…,” Davis explained.

“Children and adults sometimes have to refrain from going to school and work because of the lack of water. They sometimes travel miles to get water,” he added.

He lamented that water shortages have caused developers to abandon plans to construct houses in the community of Anchovy which is just seven miles from Montego Bay and would otherwise have significant “potential for development”.

“For too long the people of Southern St James have been suffering from the lack of this precious commodity. It is not a case that there is no water, because the Great River runs the full length of the western side of the constituency, but it is the lack of vision and leadership over the years by the constituency representatives,” he said.

Davis is seeking to oust the PNP’s Derrick Kellier from the seat in the upcoming general elections constitutionally due next year.