Free Hill gets water at last

More than 1,500 residents of Free Hill in St Ann now have reliable access to potable water following the official commissioning of a $118-million system in the community last Tuesday.

The project, undertaken by Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL), involved construction of a 30,000-gallon concrete storage tank, laying new transmission and distribution pipelines, and installing a solar-powered pumping station.

The investment marked a major development for the rural community, which has been without piped water for decades.

De facto water minister, Matthew Samuda, who commissioned the system, announced that "the first 100 persons who sign up will be connected free." He said that the project is part of a broader national water infrastructure transformation being undertaken in communities across the parish and the wider country.

Samuda cited a $29 million project in Retreat, which will benefit another 1,500 people, as well as the $62 million reconstruction of the collapsed Minard well, which will serve 30,000 residents upon completion.

The minister said that through the combined efforts of the National Water Commission and RWSL, reliable water supply has been brought to 351, 200 Jamaicans who previously lacked adequate service.

For her part, acting managing director of RWSL, Murie Bennett, said that the solar-powered pumping station offers an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to traditional diesel-powered systems.

She commended the collaborative efforts of stakeholders, including residents, and reaffirmed the agency's commitment to expanding reliable water access in rural communities, noting that clean water is fundamental to health, education, and economic development.