By Martha Taumata Faavae
The Samoa Water Authority’s damage bill from last Friday’s flood is out and it is close to $10m tala.
Most of the major damages were from the water supply networks at Fuluasou, Alaoa and Tafitoala in Upolu.
Damages in Savaii were minor when heavy overflow and dirty water slowed the flow into the plant the Palauli Treatment Plant.
The SWA staff were called in to work around the clock for two straight days for urgent repair work starting on Saturday.
Conditions were still unstable for most of Friday with the flooding so the staff had to wait for the next day to be able to work safely.
“Despite the substantial damage caused to our water supply infrastructure by the unprecedented floods, the Samoa Water Authority staff managed to repair and restore water supply to our customers,” a SWA statement undated earlier today, Monday 21 December 2020.
Main pipelines at Fuluasou River could not be repaired until Saturday morning when the ‘swollen raging river where the mains run alongside’ subsided enough for the SWA repair team to access.
Repair work had to be done under ‘perilous conditions’ for the 30 member repair team who set up a ‘base camp on site.’
The Fuluasou system was full restored “within a 36-hour turn around period.’
Damages to the Alaoa system were moderate compared to Fuluasou and the working team were able to restore a stable supply to areas such as Vailele and Fagali’i with pressure and fluctuating supply issues.
The Tafitoala Treatment Plant ‘sustained major damage’ but the workers were to get it running again ‘within 24-hour turnaround period.’
All network systems are up and running normal again but with close monitoring continuing.
“The damages were major and it was long hours of work for the staff who worked for 48 hours from Saturday until they finished at 11.30ppn on Sunday night,” CEO Seugamali’i Jammie Saena told the local media in a NEOC press conference this morning.
“The water supply will take a little time to build up to normal pressure again because we’re only just starting up again.
“Pressure was on us to restore water supply as soon as possible to all the affected areas.”
The damage bills for the Electric Power Corporation and the Lands and Transport Authority are yet to be made public except for the SWA.
A report on the extent of the damages was handed over to Cabinet in their meeting last Sunday.