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CI Times Weekly | Current Issue 264 | 18 August 2008

Water shortages drive residents to meeting

ADB consultants Len Turner, Mathilda Tairea and Teariki Rongo were very well received by the residents of Nikao who raised a host of issues that have plagued the area for years. Residents are also very concerned at the impact of the Multi Sports Complex in Nikao which is certain to put even more pressures on water supply and sanitation to the detriment of the residents.
“Start digging now” say the residents who are fed up with having to put up with constant water shortages in their district. The village will host most of the athletes but will the Government put in systems to cope with the extra needs?
There are anecdotal tales of having little or even no water for residential use and yet they know of large businesses which are drawing large amounts of water from the mains system at night and leaving residents without sufficient water for their needs.
They blamed businesses such as the resorts and the bottled water businesses in the area which are commercially using the public system but are not paying anything at all for the water.
It seems there is no opposition to the businesses as such, it is just that such heavy commercial users of water ought to pay for the commodity and they want the charges to be effective immediately to help Government to pay for the upgrade.
ADB agree that businesses should be charged but also want local residents to be charged for the water (the idea of charging local homes did not go down well with the residents).
According to Rongo, the large turnout in Nikao was mirrored in the Arorangi community where they also experience water shortages on a semi-regular basis.
Some of the audience claimed they had ‘spoken to MFEM’ who told them there is money available but that was met with skepticism by those who retorted that there has been a lot of talk but no action on the part of the authorities.
What ADB are proposing
Upgrade work is needed not just on our water supply including distribution systems but also on sanitation (sewage systems). The replacement work on our ring mains continues but there is still some way to go before all the ring mains are replaced and is essential because there were significant losses in the distribution with ADB not able quantify the amount (but believed to be up to 60-70% based on Water Works studies using water meters for the purpose). The distribution channels from the mains to the streets and from there to the homes or businesses also need to be replaced or upgraded.
ADB loan money is available in principle and is lent on a Government to Government basis for infrastructure purposes such as water or sanitation. However, the bank has certain requirements before they proceed with such loans including the need to have public consultation to ensure the community is aware of the work involved and to ensure landowner agreement to use of the land around the water intakes. Preliminary design work has been done and now that the consultations have been held they will need to be refined with work scheduled to commence in early 2010.
The Enviroflow sewage system, that residents have dubbed the ‘Perfumed Garden’ may need to be replaced in its entirety because not only has the system not been operated correctly from day one, but the technology is outdated having been developed in the 1970s (but installed in the 1990s)..
Residents were concerned that the ADB project will be too late to address the water and sanitation issues for the sports complex in 2009.
Residents have called on Government to assure the public that water and sanitation is the top priority of the Infrastructure Committee that reports to Cabinet.
CI Times called Water Works for comment and were told that WW has already scheduled water upgrade work along the Ara Metua from Pokoinu golf club to Avarua bakery. The water will come from the Avatiu water intake (and Takuvaine in the event of any water shortages).