Aitutaki is facing water shortages due to broken and improperly sized pumps but a new solar-powered pump system is being installed to improve water management efficiency and supply.

Aitutaki is receiving only half the daily water it needs from its galleries due to broken and improperly sized pumps, resulting in insufficient supply and areas without access.

According to Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI), which is now managing the Aitutaki Water Services division, past assessments indicate that the island requires approximately 600 cubic metres of water pumped per day from nine galleries.

However, ICI secretary Elizabeth Wright-Koteka told Cook Islands News: “It is currently only pumping approximately 300m3 per day due to a combination of broken pumps and/or incorrectly sized pumps and different pumps across the galleries.”

This has resulted in inadequate supply and some areas without access, Wright-Koteka said.

“The dry weather obviously hasn’t helped with the recharge of the groundwater bodies being adversely affected.”

In order to improve water management efficiency and supply for the island, ICI this week announced a new solar powered pump system for Aitutaki’s water galleries.

The solar and pumps systems for Aitutaki arrived last week and will be installed by ICI. Clearing the area required for the installation of solar systems has already begun. The installation work is expected to start in mid-November.

The ministry says the new system is a significant advancement in sustainable water management for the island. This initiative not only aims to improve the efficiency of water extraction from the galleries but also promote the resilience against climate change.

Wright-Koteka says the existing pumps are surface mounted, single speed and have a high pumping rate, requiring pumps to be operated and manually timed so that water galleries can recover. Therefore, human error and over pumping can be an issue. 

“With the exception of one water gallery, there are no water meters in the system and pressure gauges making it impossible to determine volume of water pumped per day and the integrity of the pumping system to the gravity storage tanks.”

The new pump systems that will be installed have variable speed control to allow for pumping rates to be varied depending on gallery production. 

According to Wright-Koteka, water meters will also be installed on all pumps and water tanks so that actual pumping and consumption rates can be monitored. 

She said remote monitoring and control will provide ICI with helpful data allowing for better water management and service and support when needed. 

The new system, which will be solar powered with AC backup, will also have the advantage of reducing power consumption from the main grid and providing redundancy of operation with secondary power supply.  

ICI will also be working with the Aitutaki Island Government and the supplier on installing the news system.

Wright-Koteka said that the decision to employ a majority of Aitutaki residents to work on the systems is intentional and crucial for capacity building and training, as they will be responsible for maintaining these systems in the future.

“Whilst the team have a fair idea of the sequencing of works, it is anticipated that this will be confirmed together with the supplier after a final assessment utilising underwater drone imaging,” said Wright-Koteka.

Aitutaki has faced numerous challenges in maintaining its water supply, particularly during dry seasons.

Wright-Koteka explained that the groundwater on Aitutaki occurs as “coastal aquifers or freshwater lenses” which are essentially fresh groundwater bodies (or aquifers) overlying seawater.

The boundary between the freshwater and underlying seawater is not sharp but occurs as a gradual transition zone. Coastal aquifers and freshwater lenses are dynamic in nature and expand and contract both in thickness and in area according to wet and dry periods as well as other influences such as pumping.  These groundwater bodies are recharged from rainfall and continually lose water by mixing within the transition zone and by discharging around the edge of the groundwater body.

In July 2024, the Aitutaki Water Services division was transferred to ICI. Over the next three years, ICI will carry out the estimated $7.3 million Climate Resilient Aitutaki Water Supply project designed to strengthen the water supply management, see the existing water resources maximised, and develop water infrastructure to withstand the impacts of climate change.

To ensure the successful implementation of the project, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between ICI, the Aitutaki Island Government and its Members of Parliament (MPs), on Monday.

It was signed by Wright-Koteka, Aitutaki mayor Nicholas “Nick” Henry, and MP for Vaipae-Tautu Teokotai Herman, on behalf of the island’s three MPs.

The objective of the MOU is to strengthen the water supply management which will be managed through a three-pronged approach.

“Firstly, empower the Aitutaki Water Services (AWS) team by providing them with premises, equipment, tools, spare parts to service the water system; as well as offering them capacity building,” said Wright-Koteka.

“Secondly, establish the appropriate policy, procedural, governance frameworks, as well as develop the Aitutaki water infrastructure asset management plan. And finally, to promote community ownership of the project through participation and building awareness.”

Wright-Koteka said other specific goals of the MOU include the implementation of optimal mix of interventions to maximise existing water resources, optimise rainwater harvesting and groundwater systems through improving supply of groundwater, storage of groundwater, rainwater collection and replacement of pipes linking groundwater to storage. It also aims to make the water infrastructure climate-proof by assessing the water network and the potential for desalination, developing funding project proposals for presentation to development partners.