Rio Cobre plant on target to deliver 15 million gallons daily by May 2027

Amid persistent drought conditions in Kingston, St Andrew and parts of St Catherine, the US$92-million ($14.5-billion) Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant, now 60 per cent complete, is on track to deliver 15 million gallons of water a day by May next year.

The project is expected to benefit an estimated 600,000 residents across some 150,000 metered households and is being positioned as one of the country’s most significant investments in water infrastructure and drought resilience.

Water, Environment and Climate Change Minister Matthew Samuda gave the assurance on Wednesday after touring the construction site with a National Water Commission (NWC) team led by its president, Kevin Kerr.

Samuda described the development as a critical nation-building project that will be completed on time and within budget, easing longstanding water challenges while creating capacity to support future population growth and commercial expansion.

“What they can take heart from is that post May of 2027 drought will not be a factor in their water supply,” Samuda assured.

“We are building a resilient St Catherine, Kingston and St Andrew water network system and it is a nation-building project.”

The minister noted that Kingston and St Andrew experienced their worst drought in February 2022. February, typically Jamaica’s driest month, received only 17 per cent of the country’s average annual rainfall that year, he said.

According to Samuda, the capital experienced a daily water shortfall of about 12 million gallons during that period, a deficit the new treatment plant is designed to offset through its planned output of 15 million gallons a day.

“We are very happy that the end is in sight, the project is scheduled to be completed by May of next year, we are in one drought cycle now, we expect that drought cycle to break towards the end of September into October, part of the bimodal rainfall pattern,” he said, adding that residents will have to endure the current drought cycle and one more before relief arrives.

‘NO CONCERNS’

Samuda said developers had raised no concerns that would affect the project’s completion timeline. However, he disclosed that work on the access road leading to the facility is yet to be finalised.

He also said a back-up electricity generation system will be installed to ensure the plant’s reliability. Renewable energy was not incorporated into the current design because of limited land availability. However, Samuda said the new Jamaica Public Service licence now under negotiation is expected to make the integration of renewable energy sources easier in the future.

Project officials said all engineering and design work has been completed, while major civil works are well advanced. Mechanical and electrical installations are expected to accelerate in the coming months as the project moves towards its May 2027 completion date.

Project manager Thomas Savary said construction continued to progress steadily, with all major components now in place, keeping the development within its planned 24-month construction schedule.

“We have a total of 135 people working on the site with over 90 of them coming from St Catherine communities within proximity to the site.”

Wayne Robertson, chief accounting officer in the Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change, also expressed satisfaction with the project’s progress.

“It is within scope, within schedule and within budget, because we must deliver this very important project to the people of Jamaica next year,” he told reporters.

The project is backed by VINCI Construction Grands Projets, the PANJAM Group and Eppley Limited. Sagicor Jamaica Limited and IDB Invest are providing financing.

ruddy.mathison@gleanerjm.com