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International Waters Project

TONGA: Clean Water Supply Threatened

10/21/2005

Tonga’s underground water supply is being threatened by the careless disposal of waste that may pollute the clean water supply, warns Sione Faka’osi of Tonga’s Department of Environment.

”The quality of Tonga’s water system is not at a critical stage at the moment, still the increasing mismanagement of waste urges us to do something,” said Mr Faka’osi, who is the National Coordinator for the Tonga International Waters Project (IWP). It is important for the Tongan people to know that what they do on land whether it is careless littering or overflowing septic tanks has dramatic impact on the underground water system as proven in a survey they conducted last year, he told the first meeting of a National Communication Team for the IWP in October. He said that the communication team would help to ensure that correct and simplified information reaches the Tongan public and to educate them in ways of improving waste management in Tonga.

IWP is the first pilot project in Tonga to address the root causes of degradation of marine and freshwater quality, Mr Faka’osi said that the major concerns regarding Tonga’s Water System at the moment is poor disposal of solid waste and untreated human and animal waste.

The International Waters Programme has started activities to design the first pilot project in 2002 in Nukuhetulu village in which they demonstrated household composting, sorting and re-using of organic rubbish, home gardening and plant nursery using compost soil and organic farming.

Article from Matangi Tonga/PNS.

Contact Name	Steve Menzies
e-mail	stevem@sprep.org
Phone	(685) 21929
Fax	(685) 20231

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