TRELAWNY, Jamaica — With 3,000 residents in Trelawny now benefiting from a $100-million upgrade to water systems in Bounty Hall and Belfield, the National Water Commission (NWC) is set to bring connection services to the communities.

The upgraded facilities were officially commissioned on Thursday.

NWC Regional Manager for St James and Trelawny Herman Fagan said a customer service team will be deployed to Bounty Hall to make it easier for residents to make legal connections, eliminating the need to travel to Falmouth or Montego Bay.

“We are actually taking customer service… to the community themselves, so nobody can say they have to travel all the way to Falmouth, or to Bevin Avenue in Montego Bay,” Fagan said.

The project included rehabilitation of the Belfield well with a new pump and motor, electro-mechanical equipment, chlorination facilities, fencing and about 0.3 kilometres of 12-inch ductile iron pipeline.

Upgrades at Bounty Hall included improvements to the electro-mechanical installation and power supply, a soft starter, new duty and standby pumps and associated piping.

The works will serve Bounty Hall, New Garden, Hampden Lane, Cargen, Green Park and Hermitage.

Water Minister Matthew Samuda welcomed the outreach while urging residents to pay their bills and avoid illegal connections, warning that unauthorised connections cause leaks and damage that affect other customers.

Wakefield Division Councillor Jonathan Bartley welcomed the long-awaited upgrade but called on the NWC to simplify the connection process for residents without land titles.

Trelawny Northern Member of Parliament Tova Hamilton said residents without titles could pursue an informal contract with supporting documentation from a justice of the peace or minister of religion.