TRELAWNY, Jamaica— Millions of dollars are being spent to bring both water and electricity to residents of Northern Trelawny, many of whom have been without the essential commodities for up to 60 years.

Member of Parliament for the constituency, Tova Hamilton, outlined the work she has undertaken so far, and her plans going forward, during her recent contribution to the State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives.

Hamilton noted that the town of Falmouth was one of the first in Jamaica to receive piped water in 1799. She added that the Martha Brae River which runs through Trelawny, supplies the parishes of St Ann and St James yet many of her constituents who find themselves without the life saving commodity are left to ponder “whether water is really life”.

The MP revealed that to date she has trucked water to residents and provided more than 38 black tanks as a temporary measure.

“Our advocacy has yielded positive responses from the National Water Commission (NWC) as works have been undertaken to expand their service and improve distribution. The recent completion of phase one of the Wakefield to Bunkers Hill Pipeline Replacement Project has improved water supply to residents of Wakefield, Friendship and Bunkers Hill at a cost of approximately $69 million,” Hamilton shared.

She said the second phase of the project is at the design stage and is expected to be undertaken within the next financial year. She also cited that works on the $200 million Dornoch and Greater Dornoch Water Supply Rehabilitation and Upgrading Project began in April 2021.

“Upon completion in February 2022, the residents of Brampton, Calabar and Samuel Prospect will, after more than 39 years, stand to benefit,” she said. 

Hamilton also noted that the Martha Brae River has the capacity to produce approximately 11 million gallons of water per day but currently only produces eight million gallons, resulting from an insufficient power  supply at intake. In an effort to yield full capacity, a contract has been awarded to upgrade the power supply to the facility. These works should be completed by the end of January 2022 and will allow the NWC to better serve its customers, said the MP.

She told the House that the residents of Bounty Hall are “at their wit’s end” with the inconsistent water supply to their community, over the past 50 years. She explained that damage to the pumping unit at the Bounty Hall relift station happens too frequently, to the frustration of residents.

“Upon my appeal to the Minister with responsibility for water, two new pumps (duty and standby) have been approved to be installed within the next 4-6 months to ensure improved reliability,” said Hamilton.

On the matter of electricity, she said that for more than 60 years, the residents of Green Mount have been appealing to successive representatives for assistance to develop their community.

“I was the first representative to ever visit the community and I was immediately moved to act. My appeal to the Jamaica Social Investment Fund for intervention was met with a quick response and approval for the electrification of more than 100 households, to the marvel and delight of all,” she declared.