Water PNG warns of major risk as pipeline repairs continue

Water PNG Limited has warned that damage to the ageing Rouna Raw Water pipeline could become a major national security risk as engineers continue assessing leakages affecting Port Moresby’s main water supply system.

The warning follows recent inspections and underwater assessments carried out this week at the damaged section of the pipeline supplying raw water to the Mt Eriama Treatment Plant.

Water PNG Chief Executive Officer James Young said the company is working closely with a diving team from Pacific Towing to assess the extent of the damage and determine the best repair option.

NBC National News joined Mr Young and the dive team during a site visit on Thursday, where inspections were carried out at the affected area.

Most of Water PNG’s infrastructure, including the main raw water pipeline, is now more than 64 years old and requires urgent repair and replacement.

The ageing condition of the pipes has resulted in more frequent leakages due to thinning pipe walls.

Mr Young said the leakages detected earlier this year have already caused a large sinkhole several metres deep, creating a swamp area around the damaged pipeline.

“So there was an old repair done on this pipeline in this area about 20 years ago but of course the population of the city 20 years ago was a fraction of what it is today so perhaps when they did that repair it didn't have quite an impact on the community in terms of water outages,” Mr Young said.

After the latest assessment, Mr Young said Water PNG now believes the leakage is located close to an old repair section of the pipeline.

He said one possible option being considered is to excavate a large drain beside the pipeline to remove water from the swamp area before repairs begin.

“Now that sounds like an easy thing to do but it is quite a complicated repair given the very very high pressures in the pipe here and that's quite a challenge,” he said.

Mr Young said Water PNG is now working with police, the Government and NCDC to plan how repairs can be carried out while reducing the impact on city residents.

He warned that the fragile condition of the old pipes means more leakages are likely in future.

“This is not the last issue we will tackle on this there's more likely to be quite a number of leaks through this area,” he said.

Water PNG earlier warned residents to prepare for possible partial water outages in the coming weeks while repair plans are being finalised.

Mr Young said the length of any water disruption will depend on the final engineering assessment and repair method chosen.

He said while previous repair works took between 36 and 48 hours, this latest repair could take longer because of the difficult conditions at the site.

Meantime, Water PNG is urging Port Moresby residents to store enough water for household use and drinking as contingency plans continue to be developed.