Desalination project

The awareness began after the formal handing over of the pilot project in three islands in Manus.

Fisherman Island outside Port Moresby was the first area visited by the team.

Hula village in Central Province was also visited on Friday.

National project coordinator, Tom Anayabere, said after the awareness program, the team will later prepare and test a portable desalination plant in the area as a formal technical demonstration.

Other areas that will be visited by the team include Ihu in Gulf Province, Milne Bay, Northern and Western provinces.

National project manager of the desalination plants, Tom Anayabere, said the aim of the awareness is to get the interest of the community, as well as donor agencies, so that they will see the importance of it and continue to support such projects.

“I will be conducting awareness at Fisherman Island in NCD, Hula village in Central province, Ihu in Gulf, Kwato in Milne Bay and we will stop by at Dogura along the way to Northern Province and conduct an awareness there, and also Taraparuru and finish at Tufi.

Officers from Sojitz Corporation (contractors), the engineers of the seawater source well sites, staff from Department of National Planning & Monitoring and the national project manager of the PEC (Pacific Environment Community) fund desalination project, Tom Anayabere were welcomed into Bipi on Thursday.

They were greeted by dancers on the beachfront before a traditional washing of their faces was done to ward off evil spirits.

 The first drill test took place that same afternoon at one of the identified beach well site before it was completed with PVC conduit.

The program today will see the ground breaking ceremony and signing in Lorengau before drilling test works commence on Bipi Island.

Five villages will benefit from the project: Bipi, Mbuke (and Whal), Nauna, Mal and Aawa islands.

These five villages and Manus Province as a whole will lead the way with this technology that will see solar-powered seawater desalination plant systems installed to convert salt water to fresh drinking water.

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.