Three new reservoirs and trunk mains for Honiara's water supply were commissioned on 3 November, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said. The reservoirs, built at Titinge, Tasahe and Panatina, add over 8.5 million litres of storage capacity.
The facilities were delivered under the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project, a joint investment supported by ADB, the World Bank, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility and the Government of Solomon Islands.
ADB said the added storage expands the Solomon Islands Water Authority's (SIWA's) ability to manage daily demand and prepare for population growth, and that the facilities will benefit more than 105,000 residents across Honiara. The works are designed to serve more than 300,000 people by 2050, ADB said.
Over 10 kilometres of transmission pipelines were laid through the city, among them lines from Kongulai to White River, White River to Iron Bottom Sound, East Kola Ridge to Vura, and Panatina Reservoir to Burns Creek. According to ADB, the trunk mains will relieve bottlenecks in the network and keep supply stable to homes and businesses.
ADB's country director, Anthony Gill, told the commissioning ceremony the project was "an investment in public health, economic growth, climate resilience, and human development".
Minister for Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification Derrick Manu'ari said in his keynote remarks that water security was not simply an infrastructure issue. "It is a matter of national security, public health, economic resilience, and social equity," Mr Manu'ari said.
Solomon Water Acting CEO Ray Andresen gave the welcome remarks at the ceremony. Project Team Leader Anderson Batnag showed visitors around the Panatina Reservoir site.
Source: Based on "ADB and Solomon Islands Government Mark Milestone in Urban Water Supply", published on the Solomon Islands Government portal on 4 November 2026. https://solomons.gov.sb/adb-and-solomon-islands-government-mark-milestone-in-urban-water-supply/