The National Water Commission (NWC) is undertaking a major water-development project, which will supply some 20 million additional gallons of water to communities in St Catherine and the Corporate Area.

Cabinet approved the $18.5- billion contract for the works, which will be carried out over the next 24 months, and will provide reliable water supply, in adequate quantities for domestic use.

The project will involve replacing the Rio Cobre pipeline in St Catherine from Tulloch Springs. In addition, the Constant Spring plant, which is the largest in the island, is being rehabilitated to increase the current 12 million gallons average daily supply. The plant has the capacity to supply 18 million gallons of water per day.

The Seaview plant at Stony Hill is also being rehabilitated, with new lines to run to Red Hills, Forrest Hills and Halls Green into Lawrence Tavern. The line into Halls Green is expected to produce an additional two million gallons per day to the area.

increase supply

As part of the project, a number of medium-size systems will be constructed in several rural areas to increase overall supply to rural Jamaica from just under 50 per cent, to 65 per cent, over the next three years.

Parishes to benefit include St Ann, St Mary and northern St Catherine, central Manchester and southern Trelawny.

The project is the largest infrastructure investment to be undertaken by the NWC since 1985, when the Yallahs Valley pipeline was constructed.

On other matters, Cabinet also approved the award of a $2.5- billion contract for the development of Phase III of the Luana housing scheme in St Elizabeth.

The project is part of the Government's drive, this year, to provide housing solutions, especially to working persons and is part of a larger scheme that will take about 1,700 units to the Luana area.

This phase of the project will comprise the construction of over 50 units including 48 start-up homes and four lots. Some 270 units are to follow shortly, with the final phase to begin in the last quarter of the year. The project is being done through the National Housing Agency in conjunction with the National Housing Trust.