MINISTER of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Robert Pickersgill, on Thursday commissioned into service the Cassava Pond water supply system in north-west St Catherine.

The facility, established at a cost of $9 million, will serve over 1,000 residents of Cassava Pond, Purang Hill and surrounding areas, providing them with a more reliable supply of potable water.

The project, undertaken by the Rural Water Supply Company Limited, included the repair of an existing 30,000-gallon tank, replacing the booster pump, construction of an inverter building, replacing transmission pipes, installation of an electrical infrastructure and requisite services.

The Cassava Pond water supply system will be handed over to the National Water Commission (NWC), which will monitor its use and care and manage the delivery of potable water.

Pickersgill urged the residents to ensure that they are legally connected to the system and to pay their bills.

“It costs to provide you with water. We have to treat the raw water so it is safe and, in hilly communities like this, we have to pump it to you. So I urge you to make sure you are legally connected and to pay your water bills and on time,” he said.

Pickersgill informed that the Government is working to upgrade water systems in the parish, citing the recent commissioning of the Wakefield/Linstead/ Ewarton/Wellfield rehabilitation project and the Mount Rosser water supply system.