The Noro Water Supply Upgrade Project in Western Province was commissioned last Thursday, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said, extending water services to households, schools and business facilities in the town.

The work was delivered under the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project, which is supported by ADB, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the World Bank and the Government of Solomon Islands.

ADB Country Director Anthony Gill told the commissioning ceremony that Noro is one of the country's most important economic centres, and that the bank remained committed to making safe and reliable water services available to all communities. He said the commissioning showed a shared commitment to ensuring "communities in provincial centers are not left behind in national development efforts".

Minister for the Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Rural Electrification Derrick Manu'ari, giving the keynote address, said the government would keep strengthening water resource management and building essential infrastructure outside Honiara. "This project stands as a lasting symbol of what can be achieved through genuine partnership, community ownership, responsible stewardship, and shared prosperity," he said.

Noro Town Council Clerk Gavin Totu welcomed the new plant, saying it would give the town better water and help its health, its businesses and its growth. He thanked the partners behind the project and asked people and businesses in the township to look after the facility.

Solomon Water will run and maintain the system, ADB said. It said the Noro work is part of a wider upgrade that also covers the capital, where three reservoirs, at Titinge, Tasahe and Panatina, were commissioned last Tuesday along with work on trunk mains, improving service for more than 105,000 residents in Honiara.

Source: Based on "ADB-Supported Project Strengthens Water Security in Noro", published by the Solomon Islands Government portal on 9 November 2026. https://solomons.gov.sb/adb-supported-project-strengthens-water-security-in-noro/