The elevated tank gives the system sufficient head to reach all the homes.

A new water system that will supply quality drinking water to some 400 residents of Maya Centre and Kendall Villages in the Stann Creek District was officially inaugurated in the relatively new village of Maya Centre on Monday afternoon, January 24.

The project was financed by the Government of Belize, through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank at a cost of some $342,000. It was implemented by the Social Investment Fund, a statutory body in the Ministry of Economic Development.

The project consisted in the construction of a 20,000 gallon ferro-concrete, elevated water tank, a pump house protected by chain link fence, supply and installation of a 7.5 HP submersible Single Phase Pump, a chlorinator unit, and a network of 4,000 linear feet of distribution pipes along with installation of 80 water meters. The Maya Centre Water Board provided the pipes and labor for the trenching.

The communities of Maya Centre and Kendall are located approximately 14 miles from Dangriga Town. Maya Centre has a population of 300 inhabitants in 60 households while Kendall has a population of 95 residents. Maya Centre is located at the entrance of the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary & Jaguar Reserve and is a village of great tourism potential.

Besides increasing the economic opportunities for Maya Centre and Kendall, improvement to the water system will also allow these communities to provide a better service to tourists and provide residents with better sanitation through a safe and reliable water source.

The guest speaker at the official opening ceremony was the Hon. Melvin Hulse, Minister of Transportation and National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) and Area Representative for Stann Creek West. Other speakers included officials of the Social Investment Fund and the Maya Centre Water Board.

The Reporter