KINGSTON, Jamaica- Prime Minister Andrew Holness, on Friday, May 16, broke ground to signal the official commencement of work on the Castleton Pipeline Project in St Mary.

The project is being undertaken by the National Water Commission (NWC) at a cost of $25.1 million and will benefit over 3,000 residents in the communities of Castleton, Friendship Gap, Cleary Spring, and other surrounding areas.

Holness stated that the work on the pipeline was necessary as the one servicing the communities was old and often reduced the pressure of the water due to decades of buildup.

“What was happening before was that the old pipeline would break often; it was encrusted, so, it reduced the pressure because all of this system here in Castleton is a gravity feed system. So, it relies on natural pressure to drive water through the pipes,” the prime minister said, while delivering the keynote address at the groundbreaking ceremony held at the Castleton Botanical Gardens in St Mary.

“Now, when the pipes get smaller, the pressure gets less. And so, the reliability and convenience and effectiveness of the system would have been compromised,” he further explained.

To correct this issue, Acting Vice President of Operations at NWC, Herman Fagan outlined that the utility company will replace two kilometres of aging pipeline, upgrade connections to households, and install features that will improve water supply pressure.

The project will also address leaks along the pipeline.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Arlene Williams, who delivered remarks on behalf of Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry, Matthew Samuda, pointed out that the new system will be able to handle the projected population growth that is expected to occur in the communities as infrastructure improves.

“So, this infrastructure upgrade will not only address the leaks here in Castleton but will also prepare the system for future demands. Although the Castleton system currently serves an estimated 3,000 residents, the projections are that the demand for service is expected to grow to well beyond that by 2030,” Williams said.

State Minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and Member of Parliament for St Mary South Eastern, Norman Dunn and councillor for the Castleton Division, Lenford Danvers, welcomed the Castleton Pipeline Project.