Oil Search Managing Director, Peter Botten, said there is already cases of diarrhoea and other related illnesses due to contaminated water.
He said while efforts are increasing, there remains a dire situation.
Botten said in a media conference on Monday that a potential outbreak could occur due to contaminated water.
“I think everybody knows there’s a high likelihood that this is happening and I think a response is building through this committee to what will inevitably be some outbreak of diarrhoea and other disorders,” he said.