Solomon Water has awarded a USD$7.8m (SBD 63 m) contract for the construction of 11 km of water trunk mains in Honiara to Pacific Engineering Projects Ltd (PEP).

PEP is a New Zealand based engineering and construction company.

Funded by the Asian Development Bank and World Bank, PEP will construct and commission three new potable water trunk mains at various locations across Honiara.

The three new trunk mains are as follows:

1. Kongulai to White River to Town Ground, approximately 6 kms long.
2. East Kola to Kukum Highway, approximately 1.8 kms long.
3. Panatina to Burns Creek, approximately 3.2 kms long. 

Solomon Water Chief Executive Officer Ian Gooden said “This is another of our critical water infrastructure projects for Honiara and I am pleased that we are able to award this contract this year. Trunk mains are our main water transporting network, delivering large volumes of water between the source and reservoirs.  This project will construct new mains that will increase our network's transfer capacity across Honiara”. 

Together with the new Kongulai water treatment plant and the 3 large new reservoirs this trunk main project will help to make Honiara’s water supply system and capabilities much more secure and should significantly minisimse any disruptions due to rain or other network problems.

The project starts on 16 June and will run for 18 months. Motorists and pedestrians are advised to take care whilst traveling through these construction sites on the roads and footpaths, stay alert, take notice of any traffic signage and or traffic control personnel whom may be there to assist you in staying safe.

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Solomon Water has awarded a $ 130 m contract for the construction of its new Kongulai Water Treatment Plant and pipeline Project (Bid No. SW0402021) to REAN PCS Joint Venture.

Rean Watertech is a water company specialising in delivering water and wastewater projects.  P.C. Snehal Construction Pvt. Ltd is an engineering and infrastructure company with over forty years of experience. Both companies are based in India.

Funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank (WB), the joint venture will construct a water treatment plant up at Solomon water’s Kongulai pumping station with a capacity to treat 15 megalitres (million litres) of water per day through the use of clarifiers and filtration. Associated works include raw and treated water pump stations, pipe bridges, sludge ponds and site civil works and a new rising main up to the Tasahae reservoirs. The joint venture will also train Solomon Water staff to operate and maintain the water treatment plant for a period of at least 12 months.

Solomon Water CEO Ian Gooden said “This will be the largest and most complex project ever built by Solomon Water and we are thrilled to finally award a contract for it. When completed, the project will significantly improve the continuity and quality of our water supply to Honiara residents and businesses without interruption”.

Solomon Water received five bids for the Kongulai Water Treatment Plant and Pipeline Project. Construction should start around June and will run for 14 months and then the contractor will operate and maintain the plant for a further 12 months.

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Solomon Water has awarded a USD$7.1m (SBD 57 m) contract for the Honiara Water Reservoirs Project (Bid No. SW0662021) to Pacific Engineering Projects ION Exchange joint venture.

Pacific Engineering is a New Zealand based engineering and construction company. ION Exchange is a water supply and environment management company based in India.

Funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank (WB), the joint venture will construct and commission three new concrete water reservoirs and other works associated with the project.

The three new reservoirs, able to hold a total of approximately 9 million liters of water are as follows:

1. Titinge Reservoir, a new concrete reservoir of capacity 3ML.
2. Tasahe Reservoir, replaces an existing steel reservoir with a new concrete reservoir of capacity 3ML.
3. Panatina Reservoir, replaces an existing steel reservoir with a new concrete reservoir of capacity 2.5ML.

Solomon Water CEO Ian Gooden said “We are thrilled to award the first of our major donor funded Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector project projects.  The reservoirs are essential to increase our storage capacity for treated water so that we are able to supply water to all customers with less disruption when we experience network problems or shutdown water supply because of high turbidity or pump breakdowns. The total capacity of the new reservoirs means an extra six hours of storage across the network”.

Solomon Water received two bids, both from joint ventures.  Construction should start around June and will run for 18 months.

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Due to high turbidity, the Kongulai Gravity Source closure has been extended until further notice.

The shutdown is due to high turbidity (silt and dirt particles in the water) experienced upstream as a result of heavy rains at the water source.

“This action is necessary to ensure safe and clean water is distributed to customers”, Acting CEO Scravin Tongi says. “Our water meets the World Health Organisation (WHO) Standards about 98 % of the time. It’s only following heavy rain, particularly in Kombito and Kongulai catchments where illegal activities of logging and quarrying cause sediment that affects the supply and we must shut down”.

Mr Tongi added “We cannot continue to distribute water when the turbidity level is high as the disinfection process cannot kill any bacteria in the water, making it unsafe and pose health risk to customers”.

He said the situation is being closely monitored and customers will be updated when the supply will be turned back on. 

“Our vision is “safe water for a healthy nation” and we are obliged to strive to provide safe water at all times”, the Acting CEO said.

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