Lee-Chin wants Savanna-la-Mar to get central sewage system

WESTERN BUREAU:

Michael Lee-Chin, chairman of the National Commercial Bank Jamaica (NCBJ), says that while the town of Savanna-la-Mar in Westmoreland is showing encouraging economic growth, its infrastructure is outdated and lagging.

“I was pleasantly surprised to see the thriving town that Savanna-la-Mar is and how it is expanding,” said Lee-Chin, who was in Westmoreland last week as part of NCB’s Customer Blitz series, aimed at strengthening customer relations, including providing customers with an opportunity to directly interact with himself and other senior executives.

Lee-Chin, who was visiting the Westmoreland capital for the first time in 10 years, said based on the development which has taken place since his last visit, the town has seen remarkable growth.

“I was pleasantly surprised because I have not been to Savanna-la-Mar for the last 10 years. things are going well; the growth is there. It is expanding quickly, but the infrastructure is not keeping up,” said Lee-Chin, citing the need for a modern sewage treatment system, among other needs.

Savanna-la-Mar Mayor Danree Delancy, in outlining some of the more pressing challenges, agreed with Lee-Chin that the town needs to have a centralised sewage and wastewater treatment system.

“The need to have a central sewage system is high on the agenda of the parish’s development plan, which is being guided by the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation (WMC),” he said.

Delancy said, however, that establishing a sewage system will require private and other external engineering skills to guide the process, including capital funding from central government.

Lee-Chin said that with the growing economy and a population of approximately 150,000 in Westmoreland, there is a need to look outside of the parish if the project is to be realised.

Westmoreland sits at some 36.61 feet below sea level. The parish typically receives about 6.15 inches of rain annual, which results in flooding in some areas of the town of Savanna-La-Mar.

“New Orleans is below sea level. What do they do? You have to always look to best practices. So, somehow, you have to find yourself there to look and see what they have. when you come back, you come back as a stronger advocate,” Lee-Chin suggested.

Official data reports are that in the absence of a central sewerage system, the pit latrine remains the major type of facility used by some residents.

According to the Social Development Commission (SDC) 2013 parish profile on Westmoreland, the pit latrine was the most prevalent type of toilet facility, used by 62.6 per cent of households.

That figure superseded the national mark of 32.3 per cent of households which used pit latrines. The SDC data showed that water closets were utilised by 31.9 per cent of households, and approximately 23 per cent of those households shared toilet facilities.