ABOUT THE PROJECT
A coastal community on a remote island in Vanuatu, consisting of 250 residents, traditionally relied on rainwater for their drinking water supply. In times of droughts, water needed to be carted from the mainland. In recent years, drought events have grown longer and rainfall has become more unpredictable. Moerk Water has seen excellent outcomes installing seawater desalination in Vanuatu. Previously Moerk Water has installed a solar powered seawater desalination system to produce drinking water on a nearby ni-Vanuatu island community. This unit has secured the water supply for this remote community of 800 people for the last 7 years. You can read more about Moerk Water’s history with seawater desalination in Vanuatu here: https://moerkwater.com.au/projects/vanuatu-desalination/
The latest Moerk Water solar powered seawater desalination unit to be installed in Vanuatu produces reliable, WHO standard water every time the sun shines. This will secure the community’s drinking water supply in the face of the changing climate. The unit is installed in a local cyclone proof building with solar panels installed on the roof. The seawater desalination system uses uncontaminated seawater sourced from a beach well as feedwater, simplifying pre-treatment. The unit also runs at low recovery rate to the minimize effects on the pristine environment. Running low recovery also allows the unit to operate chemical free. Local Moerk Water Engineers based in Port Vila undertook extensive training of the daily operators and will provide ongoing technical support and servicing if required.
Project Outcomes:
- A remote island in Vanuatu consistently ran short of water due to a series of droughts
- Moerk Water installed a solar powered seawater desalination system on the island in 2025 to secure drinking water supplies.
- The system (building and tanks) has been cyclone proofed due to the increased incidence of cyclones in the region
- This builds on Moerk Water’s success of securing drinking water supplies in this vulnerable region
