CLARENDON, Jamaica — Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Robert Pickersgill has renewed his appeal for more Jamaicans to harvest rainwater for domestic use.

The Minister, who was addressing the official handing over of the Pleasant Valley Water Catchment Facility in Clarendon, on Wednesday, said that rainwater harvesting is especially important for areas that experience irregular supply from the public system.

He said that rainwater systems are easy to install and maintain, and operating costs are minimal. He argued further that having such facility in place reduces the demand on the public water supply infrastructure, saves on water bills, and helps in the mitigation of flooding.

Pickersgill also said that the Government is looking to strengthen its policy, which requires persons undertaking development to provide their own domestic water where there is no connection to a central water system.

He said the aim is to “make it mandatory for all developments to make allowances for rainwater harvesting, either above or below ground, whether they are connected to the central water supply system or not. Small-scale storage at the household level, decentralised harvesting and storage of rainfall are some of the components of this new rainwater harvesting policy.”

The Minister welcomed the Pleasant Valley system, which will serve some 1,500 residents, including farmers, noting that the project must be emulated by other communities.