Princeville, Wailang to benefit from improved water access

• Princeville’s water supply system to undergo extension

Eight households in Princeville, Region Eight, will soon receive water tanks for daily use. This is a temporary measure, as the long-term goal is to rehabilitate the community’s current water distribution system.

Some residents currently walk a fair distance to obtain water, while others depend on the harvesting of rainwater. To address this issue, plans are underway to expand the existing water system to connect residents who are not yet served.

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water Susan Rodrigues made this disclosure during a recent four-day outreach in Region Eight.

While the community’s existing system is functional, residents have raised concerns about the high iron content in their water. The minister explained that substantial investments are being made to ensure residents have access to potable water.

Looking ahead, Minister Rodrigues added that the government plans to examine the possibility of providing purified water directly to homes in small hinterland communities through the use of an in-line filtration system.

“We are definitely going to look at that to address the issue of water quality in communities in the hinterland that have wells that are producing water with the iron content,” she said.

New well for Wailang

Over 50 residents from the remote community of Wailang will benefit from a new well, which will provide potable water to the community.

A resistivity test will be undertaken shortly by a contractor to determine the best location for the well to be drilled. Resistivity represents how strongly rock or sediment opposes the flow of electric current. The goal is to ensure that every household is connected to the water supply system and receives an adequate supply.

Enhanced access to potable water will also be provided to residents from Seven Miles in Mahdia and Muruwau, as new wells will be drilled in these communities later this year.

Over 80 wells will be drilled in the hinterland and riverine communities this year to advance access to a reliable supply of potable water.

Since 2020, the government has invested over $5 billion to drill over 130 wells in the hinterland regions, increasing potable water coverage for thousands of households.

“We have seen tremendous progress in the water sector. We will continue to work with you as well as extend the water distribution networks in communities that are growing,” Minister Rodriques pledged.