ST JAMES, Jamaica – A 100,000-gallon water-storage tank was commissioned into service in West Gate Hills, St James, on Thursday, which will provide improved water supply to residents of the community and surrounding areas.

The West Gate Hills number two storage replacement tank was erected under the National Water Commission (NWC) Tank and Pump Rehabilitation for Operational Efficiency Improvement Programme at a cost of $30 million.

The storage system, which replaces a defective and inefficient tank, is expected to reduce energy consumption and result in the reduction of downtime of the Westgate distribution network.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Matthew Samuda, who addressed the commissioning ceremony at West Gate Hills Boulevard, said the NWC continues to invest in the development of infrastructure to improve water supply to customers and ensure revenue sustainability.

Noting that 30 per cent of the NWC’s revenue is spent on electricity monthly, Samuda said the Government intends to implement measures to assist the utility company to cut its energy costs.

The move, he said, will help to reduce the cost of service to customers and allow the NWC to build far more potable water systems across the island.

“The truth is, your water supply is directly impacted by the cost, regularity and stability of energy supply and that is something that I hope will mark my tenure.

“We are taking a serious look at our energy usage or energy sourcing, and we will be doing what we need to do to regulate costs to improve efficiency and to ensure that we’re able to pass on both consistent or increased supply and, indeed, avoid price increases,” he said.

For his part, Vice President of Operations at the NWC, Kevin Kerr, urged residents to be responsible in their water usage and to pay their bills “on time and in full”.

The tank component of the Tank and Pump Rehabilitation for Operational Efficiency Improvement Programme, incorporates the refurbishing and recommissioning of more than 30 existing potable water-storage tanks.

This includes re-engineering of the associated service network to effect reduction in physical losses (leaks) and energy consumption.

The NWC said that work on more than 30 tanks is now practically completed at a cost of $575 million.