People living in maritime islands now have access to clean and safe drinking water

Good news for people living in the maritime islands as they will now get access to clean and safe drinking water.

The Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management has been donated a mobile desalination plant that will assist maritime communities with water supply during periods of emergencies through the reverse osmosis of saltwater into freshwater.

The desalination plant will be able to convert 50,000 litres of water in one day for drinking and household use.

Sea Mercy Fiji representative, Neil Towner, says that they are happy to work with the Fijian Government and to serve the people.

Towner says this project is taken up by the Ministry for the supply of freshwater for the islands when needed and it will produce high-quality drinking water from seawater and the unit will serve the people well.

Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Inia Seruiratu while receiving the equipments reiterated that the Fijian Government will continually strive to fulfil the rights of every Fijian to access clean and safe water in adequate quantities.

Seruiratu says over the last 3 years, the Ministry has spent $1.2 million through its Emergency Water supply program by carting water from Viti Levu and Vanua Levu to drought hotspots in the maritime islands.

He adds this mobile desalination plant will substantially reduce the cost of carting freshwater to the maritime islands such as Yasawa, Lau, and Kadavu.

He further added that innovative investments such as this would ensure efficient use of government resources in meeting the basic needs of all Fijians.

Seruiratu says to meet an immediate need in Kadavu, the government is deploying the desalination plant to Dravuni and Naqara and following this, islands facing water supply problems will be assisted continually within the next 12 months.

He adds the supply of the desalination plant to the Ministry is a success story of partnerships between the private and public sector for the common good.