August 31 Is Approaching — And We’re Still Waiting for Answers
To everyone who has signed and supported this petition — thank you. Our campaign continues to advocate for reliable piped water for Beecher Town, Twickenham, Race Course, Cottage, New Street, Hinds Town, and Salisbury.
Since our last update, we have continued pressing for answers. On August 10, we took two further steps. We sent another formal follow-up to Permanent Secretary Wayne Robertson and also followed up with the Office of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.
Our letter to Mr. Robertson requested an update on the National Water Commission's review and raised further questions about proposed water infrastructure for the area, including the nearby Hosanna Estate development. We requested a substantive written response by August 31, 2026.
We want to be clear about that date: August 31 is a deadline we have set. It is not a commitment the Government has made. Whether a response comes by then or the silence continues, we will keep you informed.
While we wait, we have been closely following the news surrounding water infrastructure and investment across Jamaica, particularly developments that could have implications for our communities.
One of those is the Green Park water system, which has been identified as serving areas across St Ann, including South East St Ann — our constituency. Green Park was recently named again as part of a new US$50 million rural water infrastructure investment. We welcome investment in Jamaica's water infrastructure, but we still need to know: Will our seven communities benefit?
We are asking similar questions about Hosanna Estate. Publicly available information has indicated that the development is expected to receive NWC water and sewer service. In contrast, information we have since received suggests that it may instead be relying on a well and nearby spring.
We want to know which is accurate.
These questions matter even more because the need on the ground is becoming increasingly urgent. Ongoing dry conditions continue to affect residents trying to meet basic household needs, while farmers are struggling to plant without a reliable water supply.
This is happening right now.
Through it all, support for this campaign continues to grow. Change.org currently displays 857 signatures, and we have 52 additional verified signatures collected on the ground in Jamaica that are not reflected in the online count. Together, that brings our support to 909.
While the on-the-ground signatures will not appear on Change.org's displayed count, they are part of our journey to 1,000 supporters.
That means we are now just 91 supporters away from 1,000.
Thank you for continuing to stand with our seven communities. As August 31 approaches, we will continue seeking answers and pursuing every available avenue toward the solution these communities have waited far too long to receive.
No community should wait decades for water.
#BeecherTownWater
Sharon Codner, MPA
Lead Advocate, Beecher Town Water Initiative
representing Beecher Town, Twickenham, Race Course, Cottage, New Street, Hinds Town & Salisbury