The combination of electricity outages and frequent bursts on Solomon Water’s trunk mains has led to declining water levels in the Tasahe, Borderline, and Panatina reservoirs.
Unni Kesavan, the Acting Chief Executive Officer, in a public statement said the trunk mains is the primary network for transporting water between the source and reservoirs . He said Any bursts along this transmission line result in substantial water losses. Moreover, due to the prevailing electricity outages, several bores at the Kombito and Green Valley borefields are not operating at their maximum capacity.
Consequently, areas reliant on these water sources are experiencing regular low pressure or no water issues.
“We deeply regret the inconvenience and impact caused by these water supply disruptions to the affected individuals and families,” expressed Unni Kesavan.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. Honiara residents can rest assured that we are actively working to restore normal water supply and prioritize the well-being of our customers. Our dedicated teams have been tirelessly addressing the issue, and we are grateful for the public’s patience and understanding during this challenging period”, Kesavan said.
To find out how the electricity outages are impacting businesses in Honiara, the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) is carrying out an online survey for its members. Solomon Power has been carrying out load shedding exercises in Honiara for more than two months now as it struggles to fix its generators. Most likely, electricity supply to Honiara consumers will resume as normal in the last quarter of the year.
Source: Solomon Water
