Authorities say it could be weeks before water supplies to the capital of Solomon Islands are restored.

Last week, unprecedented flooding in the Pacific island nation claimed the lives of 23 people and left 9000 homeless.

It also wreaked havoc on Honiara’s water mains, with around 50 per cent of the city now unable to access water, and pipes to one of the main water supply depots broken.

Solomon Water general manager Richard Austin said parts of the water system have been completely destroyed.

“We have two levels of problem,” he told the ABC.

“We’re dealing with the amount of water available in Honiara, generally, but also providing safe basic quantities of drinking water to the evacuation centres.”

Fears are also growing of an outbreak of disease, with infrastructure, including the sewerage system and water supplies, badly damaged or destroyed.

The National Disaster Management Office says dysentery, malaria, dengue fever and other diseases related to poor sanitation are all a real risk.

Solomon Islands head of the Save The Children Fund, Graham Kenna, says the flooding will increase the damage from diseases already spreading through the country.

“There is a desperation to get these people away from the evacuation centres and get them settled somewhere which is more permanent for them,” he said.

“Prior to the flooding there was the start of a dengue fever outbreak, which we know is going to be a lot worse once the place starts to dry out.”

Honiara and the whole of the island of Guadalcanal have been declared a disaster zone after torrential rain caused massive flooding, loss of life and loss of homes.

Permanent secretary Melchoir Mataki says that infrastructure needs to be rebuilt, not just repaired.

Mataki says many of those who lost their homes lived on a flood plain, where they were not supposed to build.

“So they have naturally increased their risk, the risk of them being flooded,” he said.

“But I think the issue has been they have not experienced flooding of such magnitude in the past, so they thought, probably, that it is still safe to build around there.

“The government is looking into ways of assisting them to recover from the disaster they have faced, but we certainly have a lot of constraints in terms of resources and capability.”

The Solomon Islands Ministry of Education says at least 30 schools outside of Honiara have been badly damaged and could be closed for up to three months.

The permanent secretary, Franco Rodie, says while assessors have been unable to reach many of those schools because of damaged roads, it is estimated they will cost millions to repair.

He says the ministry hopes to work with NGOs to set up temporary schools in the meantime.

“We are going to take one step at a time, with the limited resources we have to be able to assist the schools so that they can operate again.

Dr Rodie says a further six schools in Honiara are being used as evacuation centres.

He says he hopes those people taking refuge in school halls will return to their homes by Friday, so some classes can resume on Monday.

The long-term future of St Barbara’s Gold Ridge operations is in doubt with the company suspending mining due to flood damage.

St Barbara said it evacuated 200 personnel over the weekend after the open pit mines experienced flooding and “significant damage”.

The security risks became “unacceptable” after flooding damaged the only access road to the mine, cutting it off from critical food and medical supplies and fuel for electricity.

St Barbara said it recorded more than 1000mm of rain at Gold Ridge in the four days to April 4, including 500mm in a 24-hour period.

Transparency Solomon Islands has accused the government of using the flood as an excuse to release constituency funds ahead of this year’s election.

The election is expected to be held at the end of October.

On Monday, Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Gordon Darcy Lilo, told parliament the money would be released to MPs to enable them to respond to their constituents needs following the flood.

Chief Executive of Transparency Solomon Islands, Daniel Fenua, said it is concerning the money is being released to MPs in areas not affected by the floods.

Fenua is concerned that MPs could be using the nation’s flood disaster as an opportunity to gain votes ahead of the expected election in October.

“Given that the election is just around the corner, you know this could be an opportunity, you know people, especially intending candidates, could take advantage of the situation.”

The ABC is seeking a response from the Solomon Islands government. --HONIARA