WATER FROM WHERE?
In future what you drink could come from under the ground
By Charles Pitt, Political Editor

WATER may have to be drawn from below the surface to meet Rarotonga’s future needs.
At the Preventative Infrastructure Master Plan launch, Director of Water Works Ben Parakoti spoke of the need to consider tapping into the ground (below surface) water supply.
Parakoti referred to a number of previous studies which have not seen any follow up action to date.
The Master Plan launched at the National Auditorium maps out projects for the next 20 years. But it does not include any project related to the ground water supply on Rarotonga.
The water supply projects envisaged for Rarotonga in the term 1-5 years, include;
n replacing old sections of the distribution sub main, at a cost of $3.2 million
n installation of distribution system isolation valves at a cost of $0.2 million.
n Projects for the term 5-20 years include;
n distribution network rehabilitation, at a cost of $3 million
n supply and installation of property connection meters, at a cost of $1.2 million
n construction of water treatment facilities, at a cost of $7 million
n water loss reduction programme; at a cost of $0.5 million.
UPGRADED
At the National Auditorium, Parakoti advised that some 70% of the water distribution system had been upgraded. But the remaining 30% of old piping was a problem in that it was responsible for something like 70% of leakages.
The operating and maintenance costs for water treatment and network rehabilitation are estimated at $0.6 million per year. The Master Plan cautions that this has to be built into the Government’s expenditure budget.
However, the referral to household water meters in the plan points to Government looking to recover some costs from users. This matter is likely to cause lively debate and is certain to become an election issue.
Judging by Parakoti’s tone at the meeting, surface water is not going to be enough in the long term. Consider the projects yet to come on stream. New hotels and tourism units waiting to spring up under the Unit Titles Act.
In 2000 the Department of Waterworks prepared a proposal to Government for a project to do a detailed groundwater assessment for Rarotonga. Waterworks were to undertake the project with assistance from a Contractor.
Total cost at the time to carry out drilling, training, sampling and data collection was put at $201,410. AusAid was mentioned as a possible funding source.
FRENCH
In 1990-92, a French funded project estimated the demand on Rarotonga for domestic, tourist and industrial use to be 8,800 cubic metres per day. With agricultural demand estimated to be similar, the estimated total demand was expected to exceed 15,000 cubic metres per day.
The project conducted a very preliminary assessment of surface and groundwater resources. The project concluded a groundwater flow of 43,200 cubic meters per day was available but a more reliable evaluation was required involving a drilling programme.
A 1998 SOPAC survey of the groundwater potential of Rarotonga recommended that a follow up project be required to evaluate and demonstrate the potential for groundwater use as part of the overall water supply system.
The 2000 project proposal warned Rarotonga was very susceptible to rainfall variability with the El Nino phenomena drastically reducing water supply.
The water intakes normally produce 10,000 cubic metres of water per day during periods of sufficient rainfall. Besides the El Nino threat, the impact of seasonal rainfall can affect 50% of the island’s population.
Sufficient, safe and clean water is crucial for sustainable social and economic development so public debate and discussion on this issue needs to be ongoing.

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