Saraga, Bautama eyed for water supply connection

By PETER ESILA
WATER will be connected to businesshouses and homes from Saraga to the Bautama area in the Moresby North-East electorate, Eda Ranu says.
Managing director Henry Mokono made a commitment that Eda Ranu would be commissioning the service later this month.
He said business was growing along the highway and there was a need for water connection.
“There is a new water supply main connected from Saraga all the way to Bautama, that is four to seven kilometres, it’s fully tested, it’s fully charged, meaning water is in the pipeline,” Mokono said.
“It was part of the construction project that NCDC funded together with the national government which construction company Hebou built last year.
“For Eda Ranu, we project-managed the pipeline, that’s the water pipeline all the way to Bautama, so we tapped off at Bautama because that is the border between NCD and Central.
“That’s where our jurisdiction ends, so anything beyond Bautama is for Water PNG and the Central to take on board.”
Mokono urged settlers and those living along the road not to do illegal connections.
He said there were arrangements for supplying water into settlements and villages through the signing of a memorandum of understanding.
He said having a meter to record water bills is a problem in settlements and Motuan villages.
“Because there are no sections or lot numbers, we came up with the concept of signing MOUs.
“Within the agreements, we make sure that the community pay subsidised rates for water because there are communal taps that we normally deliver water to.