Western Province will be visited this month by the saltwater desalination team from the Department of National Planning.
The team, led by national project coordinator, Tom Anayabere, ran awareness and tests using portable desalination plants and carried out formal technical demonstrations along areas in the Southern Region.
The team travelled to Fisherman Island in NCD, Hula, Kaparoko Village and Mainohana Catholic Secondary School in Central Province, and Aivau Village at the mouth of the Vailala River leading into Ihu, Gulf Province.
Phase one of this awareness commenced after handing over the desalination plants in Manus in September last year.
During phase one of the awareness, Anayabere said portable plants were used which produced up to 120L per hour fresh water from sea water.
“This portable plant can use both direct seawater and or brackish well or swamp water as intake sources.
“Percentage of fresh water to sea or brackish water is 60 or 40 percent. Hence, 40 percent fresh water and 60 percent brine waste discharge using three reverse osmosis (RO) membrane filters,” he said.
They also covered Alotau, Awayama and Bogaboga in Milne Bay Province, Tufi Station, Kepple Point and Wanigela in Tufi, Northern Province, travelling by boat.
The stop at Tufi was attended by 19 ward councillors and district officials.
During demonstration at Kepple Point in Tufi, Anayabere said the whole village filled their containers with desalinated water and the plant ran for three hours straight.
Daru Island in Western Province and the other areas in the province will be visited this month.
(Villagers at Kepple point in Tufi having their containers fetched with desalinated water – Picture supplied by Tom Anayabere)