APPROXIMATELY 5,000 residents across north-western St Ann are set to experience reliable running water following the official commissioning of the $49-million Discovery Point to Mt Boone Pipeline Project on Friday.

The project marks the final phase of major system upgrades to the Rosemount-Discovery Bay-Dunbarton Water Supply System, on which more than $200 million has already been invested to double daily production capacity to 800,000 gallons per day.

The project included laying 0.8 kilometres of heavy-duty, 200-millimetre, ductile iron transmission pipes from Discovery Point to Mt Boone; and connecting a new, 100,000-gallon storage tank directly into the network to serve communities including Rosemount, Discovery Bay, Dumbarton, Liberty Gardens, Dover and adjoining areas.

Contextualising the project within the Government’s robust national water strategy, Minister of Water Matthew Samuda pointed to a comprehensive World Bank Water Sector Group study which revealed that transforming Jamaica’s water, sewage, and irrigation sector to full resilience requires a US$5-billion ($750–$800 billion) long-term commitment.

“Ten years ago Jamaica was spending a little under $1 billion per year on water infrastructure — a pace that would have taken between 750 and 800 years to fix,” stated Samuda.

“Today, this Government is spending in excess of $15 billion annually. Rainfall may be free, but the catchments, treatment plants, pumps, and ductile pipelines are not. While our challenges in North Western St Ann alone exceed US$2 billion, our word is our bond, and we are delivering water security community by community,” added Samuda.

He argued that every single pipeline laid, directly impacts the groundwork for economic growth across rural parishes.

“Every single investment in water resilience and water security is strengthening this country for the future. It is reducing poverty because people no longer have to spend a disproportionate amount of their hard-earned salary on trucking water to their homes, and it is positioning us for significant economic growth,” said Samuda.

He pointed out that the Queen Heights system will represent an investment exceeding half a billion Jamaican dollars and will be implemented by the National Water Commission (NWC), with procurement expected to begin next year.

Additionally, a loan facility recently signed with the Caribbean Development Bank will finance a massive water scheme between Green Park and Bamboo, representing approximately $800 million in investment for the constituency.

Welcoming the upgraded water system, Member of Parliament for St Ann North Western Krystal Lee praised the project for providing long-awaited relief to residents and laying the groundwork for future local growth.

“When I became MP in 2020 this constituency had only about 40 per cent coverage for running water; today, we are rapidly pushing past 50 per cent. Residents who used to complain about low pressure are now silent, and this $49-million investment provides the vital foundation needed to power residential growth and commercial development,” said Lee.