RESIDENTS of Papua New Guinea's capital of Port Moresby will run out
of water early next year if the current consumption rate doesn't drop, says city water supplier Eda Ranu, the Post-Courier newspaper reports.
The city of Port Moresby and parts of Central province obtain their water and power supply from the Sirinumu Dam, which has a substantially reduced water level due to the long dry spell currently being experienced through out the country.
As a result, city residents have being asked to reduce both power and water usage.
PNG's Electricity Commission (Elcom), which uses the Sirinumu water system to generate power, this week started cutting the supply of electricity to some areas during specified hours. Despite Elcom's effort to reduce power usage, however, officials say it still won't be possible for the already depleted Sirinumu Dam to provide the amount of water Port Moresby's 300,000-plus consumers normally require.
The supplying of water to some parts of the city also has been restricted.
Meantime, officials from Eda Ranu have asked Elcom to shut down its Rouna hydro-electricity facility. They claim closing the Rouna plant and using fuel generators at 8-Mile, outside Port Moresby, is another way to help conserve the regional water supply.
The National Weather Office says Port Moresby is not likely to get adequate rain again until early next March.
The National Capital District Commission and Eda Ranu, meantime, have begun conducting public service campaigns to inform people about ways to conserve water.
Winis Map is a Papua New Guinean journalism student studying at the University of Hawaii.
