It was a joyous moment especially for the mothers and daughters of Berebei, a predominantly Seventh Day Advantage village on an island in the middle of the Sirinumu lake in the Central province, when taps next to their homes where officially turned open to allow water to flow.

This is the first time in over sixty (60) years that water is now flowing to homes of landowners of the massive Sirinumu Dam that supplies both water and electricity to Port Moresby city and parts of Central province.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the new water supply system, Mr. Steven John, the Chairman of the landowner company- the Sirinumu Development Company, said it has been a long time coming and eventually the first village now has water running on taps next to homes.

“Villagers will no longer have to travel far to get water, a struggle everyone knows too well.”

The project came about following a church gathering at the village some time back, where members at the gathering asked for a better water supply system. That request was taken to heart by the Koiari Local Level Government (LLG) Special Purpose Authority (SPA) who then move to have the water system installed using funding parked in their account.

They set to work on the project with contractor SMJ Plumbing & Building Services, which was represented at the opening ceremony by Mr. Sibona Fafave, the Managing Director. Given the urgency to establish the water supply system, the company took just two weeks to install the whole system, which includes pipes, taps, pump and a massive water tank.

The opening today marks the start of more such projects to come as planned for by the Koiari LLG SPA with more villages on the Sirinumu lake to get proper water supply system.

In attendance at the ceremony today where dignitaries from the government, the Department of Provincial Government and LLGs, Department of Prime Minister, the Central Provincial Government and stakeholders and villagers.