Tonga restricts sources of drinking water for bottling [1]
Tuesday, January 25, 2022 - 12:47. Updated on Tuesday, January 25, 2022 - 12:51.
Editor’s note to Readers: Due to our lack of internet access since Jan. 16, we have a backlog of material to upload to the Matangi Tonga Online. Therefore, we note the local time of reporting at the start of this article, which may be different from the time of posting on the website.
By Pesi Fonua
January 20, 2022:
Only underground water supplied by the Tonga Water Board may be used for bottled water that is processed in Tonga, to sell for public consumption, the Ministry of Health said on Monday, Jan 17.
Mirimba Talakai from the Ministry of Health told the Matangi Tonga on Jan. 20 that the restriction on the processing of water for sale was introduced following the volcanic eruption at Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha’apai islands on Jan. 15, which spread tons of ash over Tonga.
Tapu Panuve, owner of Tonga Water Ltd., said that they had been in full production processing water since Sunday.
He said they had ample reserves of rain water, and they had notified Sela ‘Akolo Fa’u at the Ministry of Health and were given the go ahead with their water production.
“We were running non stop for 24 hours, for two days in a row. Sunday and Monday, and people kept turning up to buy water.”
Tapu said he was grateful to receive phone calls that he received on Saturday after the eruption from three Cabinet Ministers, Hon. Tatafu Moeaki, the PM, Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni and Hon. Poasi Tei, “just to remind me that I should have ample drinking water available.”
Tapu said that by Sunday, he had put in place a large electricity generator that he had just bought, capable of powering a three phase water pump. “It was fortunate that I found one on Saturday night and they delivered it on Sunday.”
He believed that Tonga must have a reliable and stable water system to cater for the change in the public demand for drinking water.
Rain water collection
Tapu established Tonga Water Ltd in 2013, and they have their source of rain water collection and their own water tanks, and they supply drinking water and drinking water bottles.
Their main market is Tongatapu, but they also have outlets in ‘Eua, Ha’apai and Vava’u.
Tapu, said that there are eight drinking water suppliers in Tongatapu, four run by Tongans and another four by Chinese entrepreneurs.
Since 2013, he has been astounded with the change in the public taste for drinking water.
He recalled drinking the under ground water supply from Tonga Water Board when he was growing up. The underground water has a heavy lime content.
The under ground water supply by the Tonga Water Board is still recommended by various authorities
Tapu said that the Asian Development Bank had reported that the water reserve of the Tonga Water Board at Mata ki ‘Eua is huge, and the former Prme Minister had recommended for the people to drink under ground tap water.
“It is fine – and he is right. There is nothing wrong except that it is a bit thicker. But health wise it is fine.”