York Town set to benefit from new water tank

Residents of York Town in Clarendon say the commissioning of a new water tank in the area has signalled the end of tumultuous water woes that have long plagued the south western community.

The project, a partnership between the National Water Commission and the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, was held last Thursday at the NWC’s facility in the community.

The 50,000-gallon, glass-fused-to-steel tank costs approximately $22 million. The equipment is expected to serve some eight communities including Howells Content, Parnassus, Denbigh Drive and Foga Road.

The NWC said the tank is expected to reduce energy consumption, reduce the downtime of the distribution network and improve the service delivery to its customers.

Councillor Uphel Purcell, who heads the division, told The Gleaner that the replacement of the deteriorated tank was long overdue.

Purcell said the new equipment will cease distress calls from residents amid the water woes to himself and the member of Parliament, Lothian Cousins.

NWC’s acting corporate public relations manager, Delano Williams, told The Gleaner that the previous tank at the location had deteriorated, and said the newly commissioned tank will revamp NWC’s operation by improving water supply reliability.

RELIABILITY OF SERVICE

“The tank ensures reliability of service, it also helps with water quality, and the maintenance of it is easier, and it extends also into energy savings for the NWC,” said Williams.

Williams said the absence of a functioning tank required continuous pumping to facilitate water distribution.

“The tank allows you to fill, shut down the pumps and distribute via gravity, and so, we will save significantly from this and other tanks across the NWC network,” Williams explained.

Alphonso Smikle who operates a food business in the area expressed enthusiasm, stating that the newly-minted project will boost his business’ compliance to the Ministry of Health and Wellness standards.

Smikle however, rued over years of travelling across parish to source water when the facility in York Town went down.

“The tank should enhance the water system greatly, because every time we have a bit of water shortage. I think this tank will really do us a great deal of benefit to alleviate those problems,” said Smikle.

Another resident, Boswell Donaldson, said the deterioration of the previous tank bore several grievances for residents.

“It was there for a very long time, and it rotten down, so the water was never clean, because all of di tings dem drop down in there ‘cause it rotten, so the water have “dregs” and dirty. Some green tings always in a di water, and dat never good fi di community, so dem come and put up a better tank, cleaner drinking water, so it better for di community,” said Donaldson.

CONSERVE WATER

Matthew Samuda, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, charged residents to conserve water.

“Jamaica is currently experiencing meteorological drought, so [we are] encouraging citizens to conserve on water, be very careful with your usage, monitor the kids in the house so that they don’t leave on the pipes, et cetera. We are experiencing drought,” appealed Samuda.

Citing the parish’s Denbigh Agricultural Show as a stellar display of the wealth of the country’s domestic and agricultural products, Samuda said, “Therefore, it would be negligent of us not to consider every possible option to provide the residence of Clarendon with avenues for consistent and regular access to the water supply.”

Another tank replacement project is set for Mineral Heights in southeast Clarendon.