Holness outlines major water projects as NWC honours 969 long-serving employees

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says Jamaica has to move faster in rebuilding its aging water network, as the National Water Commission's 2026 long service awards recognised 969 employees for 15 years or more of service. Workers with 30 years and up were brought on stage for presentations during the function.

Addressing the ceremony, Holness said the commission's workforce of more than 2,600 people includes an unusually high number of long-serving employees, with more than half having spent over 15 years at the utility. He thanked NWC teams for their role in helping communities recover after Hurricane Melissa, and said the organisation's engineers, technicians, operators, customer service staff and field crews all support Jamaica's daily life and development.

Holness argued that the utility is now in a stronger operating position than it was years ago and said that creates room for major capital works. Among the projects he highlighted were the north-western water supply scheme, with a first phase valued at about US$170 million and an overall programme closer to US$500 million, and the public-private project to take water from the Rio Cobre to serve Kingston, Spanish Town and sections of Portmore. He also pointed to planned investment in the downtown Kingston sewage network and upgrades at the Hermitage facility, including a new dam. The prime minister said the NWC carries out daily water-quality checks and noted that cruise ships also refill in Jamaica, which he said reflects confidence in the country's potable water.

Water Minister Matthew Samuda told staff that more than $15 billion is to be invested in the water network this financial year through state-backed projects and agencies. He said the government had already signed off on what he described as the commission's largest salary restructuring package, while pension issues remain a priority. Earlier, acting president Kevin Carr, board chairman Michael Shaw and vice-president of corporate services Andrea Edwards Giles all praised the awardees' loyalty and contribution, with Giles noting that some honourees have given more than 30 years of service to the commission and to Jamaica.