The recent torrential downpour has forced Solomon Water to shut down Honiara’s main water sources periodically.
“I have been collecting water in buckets when it rains for too long now,” said Sammy Hauiasi of Mbua Valley.
“How long will this go on for?” he questioned as his household is now onto its second day without water due to heavy rain system experienced in Honiara.
He adds that if water is life, certainly something must be done to ensure the supply of water remains uninterrupted despite the weather.
“It is sad that more than four decades on, the capital of the Solomon Island still suffers from an aged-old problem,” Mr Hauiasi said.
He say many lavishly paid general managers and chief executive officers have come and gone but the problem of turning off the water every time there is rain persists.
“Is there any permanent solution to the problem?” Mr Hauiasi questioned.
He adds that if there is, Solomon Water must act accordingly.
“Simply turning off the tap every time it rains does not need a highly paid chief executive officer to do,” he said.
High levels of turbidity are now an all too familiar phrase used during Solomon Water’s periodic updates. It’s basically mud and debris that accumulates around these catchment areas making it unsafe for human use or consumption.
But people like Hauiasi says turbidity is as old as the water source itself, surely someone must be responsible for doing something about it.
Mr Hauiasi said that like most households in the capital, in his house there is more than one family living under the same roof.
“You need not to be a rocket scientist to deduce the state of the house even with a day without water.
“The stench and the horrible smell of urban existence are inescapable realities and this is true for most Honiara homes,” he said.
He says with the recent increase in diarrhea cases in Honiara, turning off the tap will only exacerbate the situation. In times like this, every single drop of water counts.
When spoken to Solomon Water says that this is an unfortunate cycle, but one that is beyond Solomon Water’s current capacity.
They say that there are plans in the pipeline to improve the catchment areas, in terms of treatment of the water before it is being distributed to the public.
Such a plan will stop the need to shut down water supply, this supposed state of the art treatment facility will treat and clean the water, even during heavy downpour.
They remind the public to make it a habit to boil water before cooking or drinking, and keep their family and community safe from diarrhea and other water borne diseases.