Negril, Westmoreland, Jamaica
Ocho Rios, Saint Ann, Jamaica

Government of Jamaica, Government of the United States of America, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Coastal Water Quality Improvement Project implemented through the National Environment & Planning Agency (NEPA).
Partners include the National Water Commission (NWC) and community stakeholders.

The discharge of improperly treated wastewater effluent is one of the main contributors to coastal zone degradation in Jamaica. This situation was due to the poor attention given to wastewater services coupled with underfunding of the sector over the years, which has consequently resulted in poor operation and maintenance practices of the various wastewater systems.

The Government of Jamaica with the assistance of development partners has been taking proactive measures to address critical environmental management problems, in particular water quality issues that impact coastal zone communities. One such measure was the construction of central sewage facilities to serve the main tourist centres along the north coast, namely Negril, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios. Another measure was the implementation of the Coastal Water Quality Im-provement Project (CWIP). The Government through the
National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) developed the CWIP with the Government of the United States of America through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project provides technical and financial assistance to the National Water Commission (NWC), Jamaica’s potable water and wastewater service provider, in order to ensure effective wastewater management in terms of meeting quality effluent regulatory standards and mitigating
coastal zone degradation. The CWIP and the NWC work together at both the policy and operational levels to promote public support for the improvement of wastewater programmes. Through involved community participation, the NWC can provide better service in terms of projects that have local impacts. CWIP commenced activities in January 1998
focusing on three work sites, Negril, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio.
The National Water Policy created in January 1999 by the Government saw the formal adoption of the concept Public Private Partnerships (PPP) as an alternative management strategy for wastewater programmes administered through the NWC. Since then the Government has been negotiating with private sector entities interested in administering selected water and wastewater programmes, and the NWC has been strengthening its capacity to deal with issues associated with private sector partnerships.

This project addresses Chapter III on management of wastes of the Barbados Programme of Action.

• The Negril Advisory Monitoring Committee has been in operation  now for two years and meets monthly. Since its creation, consumer discontent with NWC’s performance has decreased considerably because problems are now discussed and addressed at AMC meetings. Negril now has a voice in shaping wastewater-related programmes and activities that affect the community. In addition to providing effective and efficient operations of targeted wastewater systems, the project also provides the NWC with the opportunity
to work with private sector entities through the interaction with the AMCs.
• As a result of AMC successes, other locations throughout Jamaica including Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Port Antonio and Kingston, have called for replication of the Negril AMC project in their communities in order to address local wastewater related environmental management problems.

Proper wastewater management, including effective operation and maintenance practices, is dependent on the policy framework and the performance of wastewater service providers. The NWC also recognizes the importance of community participation to design, administer and implement waste-water programmes successfully. The wastewater AMC model has appropriately been categorized as a Public Participation model for wastewater management, which confirms the advantages of forming strategic partnerships to address local
problems.

Mr. Louis Daley
Environmental Engineer & Pollution Prevention Specialist
Coastal Water Quality Improvement Project
5 Oxford Park Avenue
Kingston 5
Jamaica, West Indies
Tel.: (876) 754-3910
E-mail: ard@cwjamaica.com

Mr. Franklin McDonald
Chief Executive Officer
National Environment & Planning Agency
10 Caledonia Avenue
Kingston 5
Jamaica, West Indies
Tel.: (876) 754-7526
E-mail: fmcdonald@igc.org

Mr. Desmond Malcolm
Senior Vice President & Chief Operations Officer
National Water Commission
4 Marescaux Road
Kingston 5
Jamaica, West Indies
Tel.: (896) 929-3540
E-mail: dmalcolm@nwc.com