$1.8m water project on track

The NZAID funded water project in Mauke is now half complete reports Project Manager Ngateina Rani of the Aid Management Division.
Mauke’s water supply system had been dogged by major problems. Management of supply was limited, the system was in poor condition, there were leaks and wastage, the supply was inadequate and the quality of rainwater poor.
The goal of the project is to improve public health and well being and promote environmentally sustainable economic development on Mauke.
The $1.611 million ($1,853,000 with contingencies) project, which was originally conceived in 2004 under MOID, commenced in June 2008. It is on track and due to be completed in December 2009. Rani says just over $1 million has been spent so far procuring materials and equipment.
The project is a major undertaking to bring to Mauke a new water infrastructure facility. It will involve replacing existing pipes to household water tanks.
Two large steel tanks manufactured in Australia each capable of holding 80,000 litres of water will be installed side by side on two 12 metre high tank stands. Water will be gravity fed. Rani says the 160,000 litres represents about four days supply without refilling.
The water for the tanks will come from below ground and be pumped up from six bores (two in use now, 4 awaiting pumps). In all, 10 solar powered pumps will be in use. Six for community water and four for the agriculture water project. The solar panels have no battery back up and on days with no sun, power will come via the main grid. The tanks, stands, platforms and pumps are estimated to cost $548,000.
Shipping the materials and equipment to Mauke is estimated to cost $100,000.
Polyethylene pipes will be used instead of PVC piping. The main water piping will be 110mm width and 9 kilometres long with the 7 kilometres of sub-mains being 90mm and 63mm width. There will be 4 kilometres of consumer (household) mains piping 25mm in width. Piping is estimated to cost $342,000.
No filtration system will be installed and households will be advised to continue to boil their water or fit their own filters.
Digging of trenches and backfilling is estimated to cost $127,000.
The new system will be universally metered as part of ongoing research into water usage and not with any intent to introduce user pays says Rani. Essentially it will be a resource management tool.
Other work will involve renovation work on communal rainwater catchments and storage tanks estimated to cost $48,000.
Also, along the new section of road from the new hospital to the airport, a distance of 3.5 kilometres, there is a proposal to the infrastructure committee for the power lines to be laid in the same trench housing the water pipe. The work is to include the installation of low cost, long life, programmable street lights.
The agricultural water project says Rani will involve setting up four 20,000 litre plastic water tanks at four sites. These will be raised up five metres high using the existing stands. Four solar powered pumps will feed water into each tank. Work will commence in the coming months. This is estimated to cost $186,000.
An aspect of the project involves a consultant drawing up a Water Management Plan which takes into account a wide range of factors including the environment.
Labour for the project comes from the Mauke Island Administration (MIA). MIA is providing an eight man team at its own cost of $87,000 (from government) with overtime pay (estimated at $78,000) to be paid by the project.
Supervision of work by the project team and consultancy and support services is estimates at $182,000.
Contingency is at 15% or $242,000.

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