19-9-2003

Atiu water project gets started

The Atiu water project which involves the installation of seventy-five 5000 litre water tanks for private households, has begun. Rarotonga-based project officer John George, who is now on Atiu supervising this and several other projects, says 25 water tanks are already on the island and another 50 are expected to arrive on the next ship. Residents who have paid a $600 deposit will receive a water tank immediately, while those who have paid a smaller deposit will have to wait for the next shipment, he says. George was accompanied to Atiu by OMIA engineer Tenga Epi who will oversee the removal of trees which may hinder construction of the island’s Manea Games stadium. Epi will also survey the games field boundaries and look at potential water drainage systems, while George is scheduled to meet with the landowners of the stadium site to discuss the stadium plans. The site is a mix of Crown and privately owned land and will be surveyed in late October. The Manea Games are scheduled for 2005. Another job for George while he is on Atiu will be to collect pledge money donated by Atiu residents during last week’s Atiu Day radio-a-thon. Pledges ranged from 90 cents from a new born baby to $100 from an anonymous resident. Atiu Day was a huge success and raised about $70,000 which will go towards renovation of the Atiu Hostel on Rarotonga. Meanwhile, the opening of the new Catholic Hall on Atiu will be celebrated on October 24. George will be meeting with Catholic leaders on the island to make plans for the opening, before returning to Rarotonga on Thursday.