Solomon Water today announced the appointment of Carmine Piantedosi as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Chairman of Solomon Water Board Donald Marahare says “We are thrilled to welcome Carmine Piantedosi as our new CEO after an extensive international search process. Carmine brings with him a wealth of experience with a proven track record of good leadership and understanding of the industry having worked in utilities and related sectors in the Pacific, including Fiji, Vanuatu, and Nauru”.
“We are confident that under his leadership, Solomon Water will continue to thrive and serve our customers and communities even better."
The new CEO, Mr. Piantedosi said "I am honored to join Solomon Water and work alongside a dedicated team of professionals who are passionate about delivering safe, clean and accessible water in the Solomon Islands”.
“I will be very focused on working with the Solomon Water management and staff, the Solomon Islands Government and our donor partners to further enhance its water infrastructure, expand its services, and promote water conservation efforts in the country”.
Mr. Piantedosi replaces Ian Gooden who left the organisation in July this year after serving eight years as CEO for Solomon Water.
The new CEO formally begins with Solomon Water on Monday 18 September 2023.
Solomon Water wishes to advise valued customers there are new tariff rates effective 1 September 2023. The new tariffs represents an increase of 36 cents per kilolitre (tonne) of water for the lowest domestic tariff band.
Solomon Water Board Chairman Donald Marahare states, "Solomon Water’s primary goal is to ensure that every household and business in the Solomon Islands has access to safe and reliable water. We understand that any change in tariff rates can be concerning, but I want to assure customers that this adjustment is absolutely necessary to maintain the level of service you deserve."
Traditionally, Solomon Water reviews its tariff rates annually. However, this year's change is an exception. "We have made this change in September, deviating from our annual review schedule, because we faced unexpected challenges that required immediate action. Rising electricity, maintenance, and infrastructure development expenses have impacted our operational costs and put pressure on our ability to provide uninterrupted water services" the Board Chairman says.
"Our decision to revise the tariff rate in September is based on the need to address these financial challenges promptly, ensuring that we can continue to maintain and upgrade our infrastructure while delivering safe and reliable water services."
Solomon Water appreciates that clean water and good sanitation is critical for people to remain healthy and our vision “Safe water for a healthy nation” is at the heart of our work with stakeholders, communities and customers in improving our services. Improved water and sanitation leads to better health outcomes for everyone, healthier children, less time off school and work, and reduced health costs.
We’re with you in improving value, improving services and improving for the future - all aimed at delivering our vision of “Safe water for a healthy nation”.
Solomon Water would like to inform valued customers that current electricity outages and frequent bursts along our water trunk mains have resulted in decreasing water levels at our Tasahe, Borderline and Panatina reservoirs. This in turn has resulted in frequent low pressure or no water issues to areas relying on this water sources.
"Trunk mains are our main water transporting network, delivering large volumes of water between the source and reservoirs. Any burst along this transmission will result in massive water losses” says Acting Chief Executive Officer Unni Kesavan. “Furthermore due to current electricity outages, a number of our bores at Kombito and Green Valley borefields are not producing to maximum capacity”.
“We regret the impact that these water supply disruptions have had on affected people and families, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused. We would like to assure Honiara residents we are actively working to restore normal water supply and will continue to prioritize the well-being of our customers. Our dedicated teams have been working around the clock to address the issue, and we appreciate the patience and understanding of the public during this time".
Solomon Water remains committed to its vision to provide “Safe water for a healthy nation” and continues to work towards improving our services to our customers.
For any urgent inquiries or further information, please contact our Customer Care team on phone 44700 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Solomon Water is proud to announce the successful completion of the Panatina borehole drilling and construction project. The SBD 5.1 million project was jointly funded by Solomon Water and the Australian Government.
Representatives from Solomon Water, the Australian High Commission, local contractors, and key stakeholders celebrated the milestone at a completion and handover ceremony on 15 June 2023.
The overall development scope for the project covers the land acquisition, design, procurement, borehole construction, pump and piping installation, new control and switchboard installation, relevant testings and commissioning of two boreholes at Solomon Water’s water catchment area in Panatina.
The project was initiated in early 2022 with works commenced on site in November 2022. Over 15 local and overseas contractors, and Solomon Water Operations and Project Management staff, were engaged on various supply, construction and testing contracts to ensure the project was successfully delivered.
The successful completion of this project marks another significant milestone in Solomon Water's journey towards providing enhanced water services to the people of Honiara.
“The newly constructed bores are strategically designed to improve water production and services in East Honiara, addressing the increasing demand for water from customers. These bores also contribute to enhancing the capacity and reliability of Honiara's utilities network, aligning with the World Health Organization's water quality and service standards”, says Solomon Water Board Chairman, Donald Marahare.
The Chairman expressed his gratitude for the ongoing support from Australia for water supply improvements in Honiara and the provincial centres.
He added, “One of the significant benefits of this project is its timely completion ahead of the upcoming Pacific Games in November. As Honiara prepares to host this major sporting event, the improved water production and services in East Honiara will play a vital role in meeting the water requirements for the games. This accomplishment underscores Solomon Water's commitment to providing safe and reliable water to support the city's development and progress”.
The Chairman also appealed to Honiara communities to respect the newly completed project. “Moving forward, Solomon Water emphasises the importance of respecting and preserving the newly constructed boreholes. These boreholes represent a significant investment in ensuring clean and reliable water for the community. We appeal to everyone to treat these vital resources with care and refrain from activities that may compromise their integrity or jeopardise water quality”.
Although unable to attend the ceremony, the Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands Rod Hilton said, “Solomon Water has been a trusted partner for Australia for thirty years. We are proud to see this institution delivering clean, reliable water for Solomon Islanders. Essential services like those provided by Solomon Water ensure that people are healthy and able to fully participate in work and community life”.
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Cutting the ribbon to mark the completion of the Panatina Borehole Project on Thursday 15 June, from left to right, Managing Director of Pacific Strata Drilling and Water Engineering Services Michael Rahe, SW CEO Ian Gooden, DFAT First Secretary for Infrastructure Rebecca Lane, and SW Board Chairman Donald Marahare.
Solomon Water has expressed concern over recent incidents of threats to its staff by some customers and is calling for customers to respect Solomon Water employees who are dedicated to ensuring that the people of Honiara have access to clean and safe water.
Staff have been threatened while reading water meters or fixing damaged pipes and the number of these incidences are increasing. These threats are completely unacceptable, and Solomon Water strongly condemns them. Solomon Water employees are doing their jobs to ensure the SOE is able to continue its service to supply safe and water to its customers in Honiara, and they should not have to fear for their safety while doing so.
In a statement today, Solomon Water CEO Ian Gooden says "We are deeply concerned by the threats that our employees have faced while carrying out their duties. Our staff work tirelessly to ensure that our customers have access to safe and clean water, and they should be able to do their jobs without fear of intimidation or violence. We urge our customers to treat our staff with respect and kindness, just as they would like to be treated”.
"We take the safety of our employees very seriously, and we will not tolerate any threats or acts of violence towards them. We are working closely with the police to ensure that our staff can continue to do their jobs safely and without fear".
Solomon Water is committed to providing its customers with safe, reliable, and affordable water services. The SOE urges its customers to report any incidents of threats or violence towards its staff to Solomon Water immediately.
We’re with you in improving value, improving services and improving for the future - all aimed at delivering our vision of “Safe water for a healthy nation”.
