The construction of the first two new 20,000 litre water tanks for the northern island of Manihiki are expected to be completed next week.

Each tank on the islets of Tukao and Tauhunu - which are separated by a 4 kilometre deep highway of a lagoon - will service their communities providing access to more drinking water.

Construction of the water tank on Tukao started last Saturday and Tauhunu’s began two days ago on Monday.

Yesterday morning plastering was done inside the Tauhunu tank and the outside boxing was removed, there are more layers of plaster to do then its left to cure prior to being filled with water.

The Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI) water tank project is overseen by the ICI Pa Enua programme co-ordinator Othaniel Tangianau, assisted by builders from Rarotonga and the community of Manihiki.

Tangianau explained that on Tauhunu, the water tank will be housed at the heavy machinery compound where the largest buildings are, and on Tukao the water tank will be connected to the Island Administration building, to provide water for the communities.

The project is supported by the Pa Enua Action for Resilient Livelihoods (PEARL) project and the SPC in Fiji Water Scarcity Programme.

Water tanks are also planned for Pukapuka/Nassau and Rakahanga, said Tangianau.