Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, says the Government is spending close to $50 million to construct four water shops in St Elizabeth.
McKenzie said that each facility will provide up to 20,000 gallons of potable water on a daily basis.
“We have under construction, now, three water shops, and I understand that the documentation for the fourth is ready. So we have been spending some money on water in St. Elizabeth,” he said.
He was addressing a recent meeting of the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation in Black River.
St Elizabeth is the latest parish to benefit under the Government’s initiative to construct water shops as a way of addressing water shortage in parishes that traditionally suffer severe drought conditions.
On April 25, McKenzie officially opened a facility in Central Manchester, which was built at a cost of $9.5 million.
It will serve residents of Bellefield and the surrounding districts of Banana Ground, Blue Mountain, Bombay, Virginia, Top Bellefield, Davyton and Coffee Grove.
A similar facility was opened in Marlie Hill, Manchester in May 2018, while more than 2,000 residents of Pennants and surrounding communities in Clarendon are benefiting from the first water shop, which opened in November 2017
