Solomon Water has told customers in Auki, Noro and Tulagi that water levels at its sources are deteriorating, and warned that supply could be cut off or come only intermittently. The utility said on 29 October it was acting on advisories from the Solomon Islands Meteorological Services about the current El-Nino and its drought impacts.

Solomon Water said it was mobilising and progressively putting in place its EL-Nino Response plan for the three towns, and was working with the Drought Advisory Group and counterparts in government ministries. It said it was also watching its sources more closely and keeping up inspections and maintenance on key parts of the supply system.

Less rain and a long dry spell will leave less water available and put extra strain on urban supply systems in Honiara, Auki, Noro and Tulagi, the utility said.

Customers were urged to use water wisely, to store water for essential household needs in clean, covered containers where possible, and to cut back on excessive washing, hosing and other non-essential use. Solomon Water asked that visible leaks or suspected illegal connections be reported promptly to Solomon Water Customer Service. It also appealed to the public to respect its infrastructure, saying vandalism and illegal tapping would only worsen outages.

Acting Chief Executive Officer Ray Andresen said teams were on duty day and night, checking conditions and working on the network. "Should water levels dictate it, we are fully prepared to introduce temporary, scheduled water rationing to manage our shared resources responsibly," he said.

Mr Andresen called on households, businesses and institutions to take up conservation practices immediately, saying that "Conserving water is a shared community responsibility." Solomon Water said it would keep customers updated on the state of its water sources and on any conservation or rationing steps it takes.

Source: Based on a Solomon Islands Water Authority notice published on the Solomon Islands Government portal (solomons.gov.sb) on 29 October 2026. https://solomons.gov.sb/solomon-water-advise-customers-to-use-water-wisely-admist-drought-warning/