Conserving water is a key to improving supply in Rarotonga, reports Talaia Mika, and part of the solution to enabling fire brigades to fight fires in these current times of water shortage.

Despite Rarotonga’s water supply shortage from ongoing low rainfall, Fire services can still draw water from the network during emergencies.

Rarotonga’s water authority, To Tatou Vai (TTV) explains that while the island continues to battle with the water crisis due to low rainfall, the cartage of water from the network for firefighting emergencies is not banned.

In response to queries by Cook Islands News, Tereapii Timoti, chief executive officer of TTV, in response to concerns raised by a fire brigade regarding the ongoing water challenge, said that all fire services are able to use water from the networkin cases of emergencies.

Puaikura fire station’s deputy chief, John recently said that one of the major challenges they continue to face at the fire brigade is the water shortage.

He said it’s nothing new as it has been an ongoing problem in the Cook Islands for many years, and he maintained that TTV needed to up their game with the water supply around the island.

Timoti said he was surprised to hear the suggestion from the brigade as they have not been in touch with TTV in the last week.

“Anyway, as far as we are concerned the Fire Services are all able to extract water from the network during an emergency. We have not advised any of the agencies (Airport Fire Service, the brigades at Puaikura, Takitumu e and Teimurimotia) not to do so,” he added.

“We have, however, advised all those who cart water that sometimes they do not to extract from the network. The video we have been putting out there explains the adverse impact of doing so. Instead, we advise all to go to the two dedicated filling stations at Avana and Rutaki.”

Earlier this month, TTV had once again warned members of the public that the water pressure will be low as a result of the low-rainfall affecting mostly residents living in higher ground.

Timoti confirmed that those living in the higher ground areas still do get water but at reduced pressure,” he said.

“The conservation message we are pushing out allows more water to stay in the pipework helping maintain pressure thereby enabling water to reach higher grounds.”

The “Low Pressure Warning” statement was issued to inform the public of the situation.

In the statement, the water authority explained that due to the current dry spell, the collective water production across the island’s 10 water treatment plants dropped to less than 60 per cent in one weekend.

However, in the next week after that, the water production rose again above the 60 per cent mark but with low-rainfall predicted in the week after that.

TTV continues to remind the public to remain conscious and continue being conservative with water consumption.