Mayor of May Pen Winston Maragh has engaged water resource experts from the National Water Commission, Rural Water Supply Limited and Water Resources Authority to improve domestic water supply for residents particularly those living in Northern communities which are mostly without a reliable supply of potable water.
Mr. Maragh reiterated at a recent Minor Water committee meeting that the Municipal Corporation could no longer afford to continue the trucking of water as the primary method of serving affected communities since it was expensive and was not adequate in supplying all households in need.
He said the local authority is looking to find a more sustainable fix to the parish’s water problem by identifying and developing as many community-based sources as possible to serve the local people.
The Mayor has asked parish councillors to identify potential water sources in their divisions to which he has invited water supply experts to assess their viability.
The tours began in January at Mt. Pleasant, in Mocho; Thomas River, near Thompson Town and Coffee Piece, in Ritches, in the North-western part of the parish.
The experts found the yield at three of the four sources to be promising particularly those at Ritches suggesting that they have the potential of being developed into viable systems. These sources, primarily springs and rivers, can produce a combined supply of 202,641 gallons of water per day and serve upwards of 5600 residents. They have been earmarked for further research by the Rural Water Supply Limited.
Mr. Maragh says the local authority has rededicated itself to its role of identifying and developing viable and reliable water supply facilities in as many communities to satisfy the citizens of Clarendon in partnership with the Rural Water Supply Limited and the National Water Commission where necessary.
The water tour continued in Birds Hill in South East Clarendon and Redlands, Red Hills and the Bull Head Mountain in Northern Clarendon last month.