Dear Editor, E Kura teia ki te Kopapa akaaere o “To Tatou Vai”, e pera te Minita Ngateitei Albert Nicholas, I teia Monite i topa ua ake nei (Ra 19 Aukute), kua aravei atu au i te Tama Akatere’au o te Kopapa Akaaere o te TTV koia a Tereapii Timoti, e pera tetai mema i runga i teia kopapa koia a Sam Napa Snr.

Kua pou rai tetai tuatau roa i teia nei, i toku ngutuare tangata i uta i Rua’au i te noo’anga ma te kore e vai. Kua marama katoa rai oki au e, ko te turanga katoa rai ia o tetai au ngutuare ke aere atu i uta i reira, i te mea oki e, mei tetai 15 matou te au ngutuare e tupati nei, i te tiaki i te Kamupani tari vai, no tetai vai no matou.

Te vai nei to matou ngutuare i uta i te ngai teitei mei tetai 12 metera i te reira ngai, e te vai katoa nei toku ngai i tai i te akaaka mei tetai 5 metera. Kare takiri e vai i uta, kareka ra i tai, oro te aere i te tae o te vai.

Ko taku i marama mai mei roto i ta matou uriuri’anga ki te teia nga taeake mei roto mai i te Kopapa Akaaere o te TTV, i roto i te akata’e’anga vai o teia ngai, kua akatuera te Tangata maata o te vai i te ta’e’anga vai mei uta, kia rauka i te angai atu i te au ngutuare i tai i te au ngai akaaka. I te mea oki e, ngoie ua i te vai i te eke ki te au ngai akaaka, te piritia nei i reira te vai ki tai, i te mea oki e kare e rava te ririnui no te opara akaou mai i te vai ki runga i te au ngai teitei.

I te akara’anga, e rua ravenga e vai nei kia pini akaou a uta i Rua’au i te vai. Ka tari mai i teia mei tai mai na runga i te toroka mei ta matou e rave nei i teia tuatau, me kore, kia akarakara e kia akatanotano akaou’ia te turanga no te akata’e’anga vai. I teia tuatau, kare takiri e akara’anga e, e angaanga ta te TTV  e te rave nei no teia.

Me akara atu au, mei te mea atu rai e, kua iki te Tangata Akaaere o te TTV e kia ngere rai te tangata i te vai. Kare e akateateamamao’anga, e kare takiri e akamaramarama’anga e ka akapeea tatou. Ko tetai ngai taku e manamanata nei koia oki ko te tu o te Tangata Akaaere o te TTV no runga i tetai au porokiroki’anga e tetai au tamako’anga tauturu e oronga ia atu nei kiaia e tetai tangata e tauturu nei i te au tangata e taii nei ki teia manamanata o vai.

I raro ake i te akateretere’anga a te Tangata Aka’aere i teia tuatau koia a Tereapii Timoti, kare e rauka ana i te TTV i te tauturu atu i te iti tangata e o nei ki roto i manamanata o vai i teia tuatau.

Te tuku atu nei au i teia ma te irinaki e, ka kimikimi oonu atu te Kopapa Akaaere o te vai ki roto i teia. Mei reira mai, akakite mai ei kia matou te iti tangata i te au ravenga, ta kotou ka rave atu no te akameitaki’anga mai i teia manamanata.

Complaint: Rua’au water supply

Open letter to To Tatou Vai Board of Directors and Hon. Albert Nicholas,

Kia Orana Kotou,

On Monday, 19 August, I met with TTV CEO Tereapii Timoti and board member Sam Napa Snr.

My family home on the backroad of Rua’au has been without water for a number of weeks. I understand this was the same for other homes in the area as a local water carting company had 15 on their waiting list.

My family home is at 12m, and my coastal section at 5m. There is no water inland, and plenty of water on the coast.

Based on the meeting, my understanding is that the CEO has allowed the valves to be left open so that the water supply from the backroad continues to feed the coastal ring main. This leaves us without water, as there is no pressure to push it back up the network.

It seems there are two ways to get water to the backroad in Rua’au. Carting, or reconfiguring the water network. TTV are doing neither.

I wish to advise the Board, that the CEO is in effect choosing to deprive people of water. Without notice and without providing an alternative source.  Furthermore, it concerns me that the CEO appears to be ignoring the advice of an experienced board member who is actively trying to help our backroad families.

Under Mr Timoti's leadership, TTV is failing to meet its obligation to provide water to the public of Rarotonga.

I seek reassurance that the Board will investigate and advise of steps taken to remedy this situation.

Kia Manuia

Ngamau Wichman-Tou

Reply

Kia Orana

Ae, tano rai, are e oki e matutu rava ana to turanga o te vai i te au ngutuare i te are metua, mei ia Ngamau Wichman Tou rai, I te au taime katoatoa.

Te mako katoa ara te irinaki anga e me tei runga koe i te ‘’network’’ ia mako to ou vai. Mea puapinga ra oki i toku manako ia marama tatou i te turanga o to tatou vai, i Rarotonga nei tikai!

Te mea mua, “gravity’’. E tano ei e ua maramarama ua tatou i teia tara! Ei akamaramarama anga – me ua ana, penei are o ou ara vai i runga i to ou are, me tuku ra koe i tetai taramu ei taei i te vai, ka akaki mai to taramu na raro mai te take. Me ua puta ra to taramu, aore oa e ki! Me kapukapu koe te vai ia voo i taime e ua ara, kore rava aia a te ki vave!

Oia rai ia i to tatou vai! Me tae mai no runga mai i te maunga aere rava aia i raro i te ope o te paipa, akaki mai i reira i te paipa na raro mai. Me ua putaputa ra to paipa i raro nei, me kore te kaimaumau vai ra koe, aore te vai e oki i runga, ka pau i te tae i vao, aore i reira te au paipa o te au ngai kateitei mai e tu i te vai!

Irinaki matou i konei i te TTV e te nga maki ngangao e noo nei oia oki o te kaimaumau vai e te taetae vai puapinga kore i ko te au ngutuare. Ka rauka teia au mea i te akameitaki na roto i te tuaga o te mita (meter) e pera te pira (charge) anga. Te irinaki anga, ka kite tatou e e ia a au vai e kai nei e pera. Ka tauturu teia ia au i reira ia au i te kimikimi e tiea te vai te ngai e aere nei. E me te tutaki ra koe i te vai irinaki anaga e ka matutu rai koe i te tauta ia kore e vai e ruti. Ka tauturu katoa te tuanga moni e rauka mai ra ia TTV i te rave i te au anganga puapinga (proactive maintenance) no te paruru ia kore e kinokino poiterere ua te au paipa e te au apinga o te vai (infrastructure). 

I teia tuatau nei te rave pakari nei TTV i te au ravenga ia mako te ririnui e te au tae anga o te vai. E manga ngata rai, te ngao anga oki o te taime ka inangaro ia ia koko aere na runga i te aranui i te kimi i te au apinga akatano i te au tae anga vai (valve)!

Ei, are oa e tano ana te kotoe anga e ua taporo ua au te ‘’valve’’ ia tae pu ua te vai i tai I Inave! Ae, e ‘’valve’’ tetai, ua tamate ke ia an ra oki aia i ne’e ua! No reira, ua tarevake teia tara e ua tapu au ia kore o te tangata vai! 

Te akapapu akaou ia atu nei e te kakaro ia nei rai teia manata, e ka ropa ia me kitea mai!

Meitaki

There is no doubt it is unsatisfactory that Ngamau Wichman-Tou and others on the ara metua near her are without water.

The Rarotonga water network is gravity fed. Consequently, it is those on the coast and furthest from the intake who enjoy the best water pressure.

But there is no dispute all who are connected to the network should have reasonable water pressure. 

An essential ingredient in achieving this is to ensure customers do not waste water and the best way to achieve that will be metering customers and introducing a tariff.  In the interim TTV must maintain pressure throughout the network as best it can.

It is not correct that valves on the backroad have been left open to feed the ring main. There is a valve but that remains closed.  The problem does not arise from the diversion of water. There is no intentional depreciation of water to anyone.

However, even with the drought and even with the failure of others to conserve water the lack of supply to residents in Rua’au remains difficult to explain.

So on Ngamau Wichman-Tou’s last point I can give the assurance she seeks - TTV will continue to investigate the problem and advise steps to be taken to remedy the situation.

Meitaki

Apii Timoti

TTV CEO