Lorengau town, Manus Province, will play host to the launch of the country’s first desalination project on May 10.
The islands of Bipi, M’buke (including Whal), Nauna, Mal and Aawa will be recipients of the project that will see solar-powered seawater desalination plant systems installed to convert salt water to fresh drinking water.
The signing of this project took place in Port Moresby recently between the Department of National Planning & Monitoring and Sojitz Corporation, (contractor) engineers of the seawater source well sites.
This project is a Government of Japan funded project through the Pacific Environment Community (PEC), the project arm of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) in Fiji.
National project manager of the PEC fund desalination project, Tom Anayabere, told Loop PNG that these five islands chosen were selected by the Manus Provincial Government in consultation with their respective members of parliament, LLG presidents and ward councillors.
The basis for selection of these islands was based on a comprehensive report that was compiled by the Manus Department of Natural Disaster and Emergency over six years ago.
Population of the islands and the remoteness from Lorengau town were also other factors in the selection process.
Anayabere explained that the type of solar-powered seawater desalination plant systems were chosen after two surveys on these islands. Site assessments and water sample tests were conducted towards the end of last year with PEC’s international consultants, Ingerosec Corporation of Japan.
Water samples were independently tested in Japan for acidity, PH (specific gravity), conductivity and salinity levels.
He further explained the PhotoVoltaic Reverse Osmosis (PVRO) water desalination systems are not off-the-shelf systems that can be just purchased and installed as and where desired.
“PVRO systems, especially for seawater desalination, are site or location specific, based on acidity, salinity, conductivity and specific gravity (pH) of the source water’s (intake water). As such, our PNG (Manus) systems are now in the process of being manufactured,” he added.
(Caption: A contaminated water source from one of the islands that will be benefiting from the desalination project. Picture supplied by Tom Anayabere)