Due to the coastal topography, placement on the shoreline and closeness to the lagoon reef flat, there are no viable underground freshwater lenses nor freshwater wells on Tebikenikua. Thus, residents rely on rainwater collection as their only source of drinking water. Generally, there is a lack of adequate water storage capacity, especially for low income residents of the Tebikenikua community whose homes and households are made of local materials which cannot collect rainwater. This project entails the enhancement of water storage capacity on the community by providing a roofing catchment, 20,000-liter capacity water tanks and a 300 liter per day Solar Water Purification System centered at the Tebikenikua Maneaba, from where the freshwater will be distributed to the village community. The village Maneaba will be upgraded to provide adequate roofing and sufficient rainwater collection capacity to support the community. In addition, residents will be educated on how to ensure high quality water and how to conserve water, given the high demand and limited supply of water available to the village community.
The current situation is limited water is being rationed to the community with some people getting none. This project will ensure that the residents of Tebikenikua have an improved rainwater collection system and are much better equipped to deal with drought conditions. The Solar Farm will provide a daily 300 liters supply of freshwater from their brackish well and the water storage capacity for the village will be increased by 20,000 liters. Furthermore, the rain water tanks and the solar water farm will be located at the village Maneaba to ensure that fair distribution of freshwater is decided by the community members themselves. The increased level of quality water storage equipment will also likely decrease the level of water borne illnesses. The increased water supply will also likely improve the livelihoods of the community by enhancing agroforestry activities.
One of the final activities of the project will be a survey of all village households gauging how their water storage capacity has increased as a result of the project and how the increased capacity has impacted their daily lives in the following areas:
1. Water storage capacity increased by 55,000 gallons
2. Improved public health and personal hygiene
3. Decreased frequency of water borne illnesses
4. Without having to buy water, recipient households would have more money to put towards food and other expenses
5. Community capacity to identify, plan and implement development projects enhanced
6. Community capacity to participate in problem solving enhanced
7. Greater awareness of the impacts of climate change