PUB is pleased to report some good progress on the prepaid meters roll-out in recent weeks, after a lengthy period of slow output and stop-start work.
The objective is that, over time, all meters will be converted to pre-paid. We are aware of some concerns with these new meters, and we hope such concerns have been mitigated following reassurances and confirmed testing. We have the latest technology on order for meter calibration, so any customer with doubts or concerns about the accuracy of their meter can watch as it is tested and proven accurate.
For many years, the post-paid meters were not recalibrated, and, as with all mechanical devices, they deteriorated over time. If anything, the old meters gave an advantage to customers with poorly calibrated meters.
We recently had a delegate in China to verify the orders for the next batch of meters, which are now being shipped. A further order is commencing manufacture. We hope the new meters arrive in Tarawa soon, as we hope to have the majority of the rollout completed before the year end.
Water Supply
As many residents are aware the South Tarawa Water Supply Project (STWSP) aims to provide water accessibility for every household on a continuous basis. For project challenges and updates see the section on STWSP under ‘Projects’.
For several weeks now, PUB has experienced leaks on the trunk main [TM] the pipeline that transports the water production from the Bonriki galleries or from the McKenzie desalination plant.
This is a major challenge for PUB and we continue to work on addressing leaks and fixing the main line.
Currently we are aware that some residents are experiencing low pressure in their access to water and PUB can confirm that this is due the the leakage across the distribution network. In many instances, there is insufficient pressure to pump water up to a typical tank height (around 2 meters) and residents are having to collect the water at ground level for manual distribution into tanks.
PUB continues to evaluate and assess this situation we will keep residents updated. We sincerely apologise for this inconvenience, just as we advise that this is a major problem and it could still be some weeks before this is fully addressed as we continue to test the TM and seek expert advice.