A TEAM of National Water Commission (NWC) officials led by Franklyn Williams, senior vice-president of engineering, accompanied the Minister of Water and Housing Donald Buchanan and State Minister Harry Douglas toured the water supply facilities in the north-western section of the island on Thursday and Friday last week.

Beginning at the Great River Treatment Plant in Hanover, members of the touring party were brought up to date on the work in progress, including upgrading and modernisation of the plant by the contractors - SOGEA Satom.

The Great River System has been expanded by an additional five million gallons per day to 15 million gallons to serve as far as Lucea via a 22km system of pipelines. Integral to the entire delivery system and the efficiency of the service is the planned linking of all the systems in northern Jamaica. This linkage will allow for water to be redistributed to any area in the system experiencing a shortfall.

EXPANDED SUPPLY SYSTEM

The ministers were also informed of the work of Water Management International (WMI), a branch of SOGEA Satom (the international company, which has been contracted to modernise the water system). WMI has mapped the entire area to be covered by the expanded supply system, has done a network audit as well as carried out extensive work on leak detection and the identification of non-revenue water. The investigations and corrective measures undertaken have resulted in non-revenue water moving from a high of 71 per cent at the start of the contract to its present level of 59 per cent with a projection for under 50 per cent at the end of the contract period.

COMPUTERISED SYSTEM

The touring party also viewed the computerised system at Great River, which monitors and troubleshoots activities along the entire system. This technology will allow for the detection of problems and speedy implementation of solutions. But the technology does not stop locally, as with a link-up to another system in France, consultative work including diagnosis and treatment can be carried out without the costly physical transportation of a consultant into the island.

The tour then moved on to the Logwood Plant in Hanover, where the minister viewed the works continuing with diversions to the districts of Askenish and Dolphin and ending on Friday with a look at the upgrading work being undertaken at the Roaring River System, before moving on to Darliston and surrounding districts.

Back to News

Go-Jamaica | Jamaica Star | Go-Local Jamaica | Sports Jamaica | Letters to the Editor