NWC offers assistance loans

THE NATIONAL Water Commission (NWC) is seeking to lend over $500 million to persons in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Negril to assist in covering the expenses of connecting to the new wastewater schemes in those communities.

The funds are being provided as part of a sewerage Connection Assistance Programme (CAP) aimed at providing financial, technical and administrative support and assistance to NWC customers desirous of connecting to the new schemes. Under the Connection Assistance Progra-mme (CAP) commercial and domestic customers may qualify for a loan at 6 per cent rate of interest. Domestic customers, who are unable to repay a loan for the full cost of their connection will also be considered for a further subsidy on a ease by ease basis.

Rationale

"The basic rationale for the CAP", explains Corporate Public Relations Manager Charles Buchanan," is that we need to ensure that properties connect to the systems so as to realise all the planned benefits to public health and the local environment. Some persons are already benefiting from this assistance programme and many others are to benefit soon."

According to the NWC, connecting now will immediately begin to protect the health and environment of these communities and afford access to financial assistance. Whereas persons may undertake to make their own arrangements for connecting, the NWC urged immediate connection saying sewerage charges would be applied to all properties within 90 metres of the new sewers starting November 1.

The NWC expects to connect approximately 500 properties in Negril, 1,300 in Montego Bay and 500 in Ocho Rios under the Connection Assistance Progra-mme.

Customers in these areas are being advised to contact the NWC's North Coast Wastewater District in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Negril to benefit from the Connection Assistance Programme.

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