Dietrich

Byron McDaniel, Gleaner Writer

WALDERSTON, Manchester:

Clinton Dietrich had one last dream before dying: He longed for the day when the Mandeville water supply system in Manchester would be similar to that of a First-World town, and he wanted to be part of that achievement.

Just hours before his death in a grisly motor vehicle crash early Saturday morning, Dietrich, councillor for the John's Hall division in the parish, sent to The Gleaner a copy of a plan he had drafted to address the water needs of the growing central Jamaica parish capital.

At the last meeting of the Manchester Parish Council on April 12, Councillor Dietrich, an industrial, civil and mechanical engineer by profession, spoke passionately about the decades-long problem of Mandeville's water shortage.

He also offered his professional service to the Government, free of cost, to arrive at a solution.

"Water is life and the current situation is unsatisfactory," he told his colleagues at the meeting. Sometimes when I talk to affected residents and they tell me how and from where they get a little water, it makes the heart bleed."

The councillor, who was also the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) caretaker for North West Manchester, said he often wondered just how serious the National Water Commission was about its objectives.

Councillor for the Mandeville division, Sally Porteous, has endorsed Dietrich's proposals to ease Mandeville's water woes.

Recommendations

In his six-page Mandeville Water Supply Improvement Plan, Councillor Dietrich made nine recommendations.

Rehabilitate all three deep wells at Porus.

Install one new deep well at Porus.

Rehabilitate all four pumpsat Porus that supply water to Mandeville.

Install two additional deep wells at Pepper, St. Elizabeth.

Upgrade the existing number three deep wells at Pepper.

Install two additional 'lift' pumps at Gutters, St. Elizabeth.

Install two additional 'lift' pumps at Spur Tree.

Install necessary distribution pipelines.

Check and repair leaks.