“Our biggest testimony is that if the sea won’t get dried up, then our drinking water will never be finished.”
Thanks to the commitment and ongoing training of the wonderful daily operator Walika and the dedication of the Uripiv Water Committee and their Chair Bob Delwin the system in Uripiv, Vanuatu has been running smoothly and reliably since its installation in 2018. Even after the severe tropical cyclone (TC) Harold in April of this year, which caused a lot of devastation on the islands, the village of Uripiv has a reliable source of clean water.
We are proud and happy to be assisting the Department of Water Resources in Vanuatu with the Drinking Water Safety and Security Plan (DWSSP) program as part of meeting SDG6 by 2030.
Through our reverse osmosis desalination plants we contribute to making the local communities resilient to all kinds of disasters such as cyclones and droughts.
“We are happy to have a very safe drinking water source. Our capacity is still not enough. Anyway thank you Moerk Water.”
Bob Delwin, Chair of the Uripiv Water Committee
This week, the Uripiv Water Committee conducted a workshop on water safety and security with its community members. During this workshop the community members tested the water of all the different water sources. They found that the water of their Moerk Water reverse osmosis desalination plant is the only completely safe water source.
Training and education is crucial in water security. For this reason, we at Moerk Water aim to support and work closely together with the local water committees of the communities we work with.
“For the first time in history of our island we have a source of water which is reliable. When the rainwater tanks are empty, groundwater is not the best to drink. Whatever happens, we have a source of freshwater to drink.”
““The desalination plant from Moerk Water at Uripiv is a simplified technology that is simple, secure and sustainable plant easy to transport and operate compared to others. The training they offered to local people for installation, service and maintenance is well organised and the operator shows that the water committee plays an important role to facilitate and work collaboratively with small desalination unit for community benefits. We tested all water sources. The only secure water source was from the desalination plant, we encouraged the community to use only this water for drinking and cooking.””
“Firstly I’d like to say that it’s really the best that we can get in our community. We do not want to drink from other sources. I am in charge of the dispensary. This water system has contributed to minimizing diseases such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, ulcers and other diseases.”
In 2018, Moerk Water installed a reverse osmosis desalination system, to provide clean water every day for the 800 people that live in the village. The Community Plant has a capacity of producing 250 litres of clean water per hour. Together with the community, it was decided that the plant would be installed inside the local health care centre, in a solid building with solar panel mounted on the roof.
Since its installation and primary training we have since conducted two more trainings to equip the local operators with the capability and confidence to maintain the unit. It is important for us to support the daily operators so that they feel confident in their work. This contributes strongly to the success and longevity of the project.
from left to right: Daniel, implemented the project and trained the operators with Walika, the daily operator and two representatives of the Uripiv community.
Moerk Water Director Martin Brezger (on the right) on his visit to support the project and to listen to their needs. He spoke with the local team, representatives of the Water Department, the Water committee, Health Department and daily operator and Roger Sutter (2nd on the left), the V2Life Vanuatu Coordinator.
Uripiv Health Care Centre; the location of the Moerk reverse osmosis desalination plant with its solar panels installed on the roof
Clean Water Immediately After Tropical Cyclone Harold
Preparing before the storm is key.
In the beginning of the year, tropical cyclone Harold tore through the northern islands of Vanuatu. We are very happy that after cyclone Harold the 800 people in the community still have a reliable source and immediate access to fresh water.
Solar-powered desalination is a sustainable solution to climate-related water security and safety issues, providing year-round safe drinking water in coastal areas, particularly those reliant on rainwater and or unreliable and poor-quality water supply systems.
5 key elements to make the communities resilient, Moerk Water highlights:
💧Implementing the project on time, before droughts & cyclones hit the islands
💧Good training: building up capacity of daily operators and service technicians
💧Participation and approval of the community
💧Simplified technology: robust machines
💧Implementing a sustainable business model
