Major overhaul needed in water management

 THE extent and quality of the current management of water resources and the Sirinumu water catchment area needs a major overhaul. 

This is becasue the city of Port Moresby is growing very fast and dwarfing our ability to reliably and consistently supply water and electricity to the city residents, businesses and institutions. 

In addition, the dry spells are becoming longer and more intense, necessitating the need for an intensive management of the water catchment area at Sirinumu.

A new policy and legislation are required to clearly separate water use and water resource management functions so that PNG Power Ltd (PPL) and Eda Ranu are restricted to water use only.

They do not have the expertise and capacity to manage the water catchment area at Sirinumu. Eda Ranu and PPL are wholesale water users and are not managers of the Sirinumu water catchment area.

The water catchment area management function and planning should be parked in a government policy making institution such as the Department of Environment and Conservation, or Department of Treasury, or within a new created government institution. 

uch an institution will manage the water catchment area at Sirimumu, as well as undertaken modeling and capacity planning for the city’s water and power requirements. It will make recommendations to the government on how best to development and manage the water catchment area, including the supply of water and electricity to Port Moresby, in collaboration with Eda Ranu, PPL, national population planning office, national weather service, and other relevant government institutions.

For example, the new institution in charge water catchment area management will procure the necessary skills and expertise from within Papua New Guinea

(PNG) and overseas to consider options such as water re-cycling using solar power technology to conserve and recycle water for hydro power generation, without adding undue pressure on the Sirinumu water resource.  This is one option for conserving water for residential use.

Concerned Resident

Port Moresby