WITH population spikes and weather patterns putting pressure on key catchment facilities serving the Kingston Metropolitan Area (KMA), the National Water Commission (NWC) is set to review options for expanding Mona Reservoir and Hermitage Dam, the two major storage structures serving Kingston and St Andrew.

According to minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Matthew Samuda, experts will be examining the possibility of increasing Hermigate Dam’s storage capacity by either raising the crest level or by constructing an additional reservoir to capitalise on the overflows from the existing dam which often occur during the wet season.

“Colleagues will recall that last year the NWC undertook a full engineering assessment of the Hermitage Dam, at a cost of $150 million, as a part of this planning process. The work associated with the development of the Rock River Dam is also underway, with the land acquisition, site preparatory works, and pipe works all underway at a cost of $150 million,” Samuda said in his contribution to the 2025/26 Sectoral Debate at Gordon House in downtown Kingston on Tuesday.

In the meantime he said the Administration, which is targeting universal access, that requires major infrastructure upgrades and faster deployment of project investments, is this year actively investing more than $22 billion into Jamaica’s water sector while unlocking private investment in excess of $14.2 billion through public-private partnerships.

Approximately 90 per cent of Jamaicans are served by the National Water Commission, municipal systems, or private suppliers, with the NWC serving approximately 79 per cent.

“Many of these projects will require more than a single budget year for completion of the construction phases. However, the fiscal space to invest at this staggering rate didn’t come about by accident, it is through this Administration’s careful management of the economy. The bureaucratic focus on guiding these investments through the investment appraisal process didn’t happen by accident, and these budgetary allocations certainly did not happen by accident,” Samuda pointed out.

In the meantime, Samuda said plans for a water treatment plant for Rio Cobre have taken on life.

“This major project has been discussed for a number of years; it has finally entered the construction phase. This project will ensure the supply gap is indeed closed for the parishes of Kingston and St Andrew, Portmore, and St Catherine with the provision of 15 million gallons daily,” he told the House.

He said completion for the project is targeted for the end of the 2026.

“As we have said in previous presentations, in the worst drought Jamaica ever experienced in 2022, KSA (Kingston and St Andrew) and Portmore were short 12 million gallons daily. That should give an idea of the importance of this US$92-million public private partnership,” he said.