Home > Programmes > International Waters Project

Mr. Filipo Taulima, Director,Tuvalu Public Works In this special profile Filipo Taulima talks about how the IWP is helping to strengthen the management of sanitation and protect freshwater resources in Funafuti

Filipo Taulima has been Tuvalu’s Director of Public Works for more than 10 years. He is a member of Tuvalu’s Water and Sanitation Committee and the National Development Coordinating Committee. This second committee is responsible for evaluating all new government developments before sending proposals to Cabinet.

What are the main issues facing the protection of freshwater quality in Tuvalu?

One of the main problems facing Funafuti is a lack of adequate storage facilities for freshwater. Current toilet systems require a lot of water and most households depend on government-distributed freshwater, even though the annual average rainfall in Funafuti is high as 35,000 millilitres.

The Government is now looking at the possibility of collecting second grade water from the airstrip and supplying it to households for toilet use.

Most of the septic systems on Funafuti need to be replaced. Some of these systems date back to the late 1970’s and most of these systems were built without proper construction advice. Now they are they either leaking or have no base or soak pits and they are contributing to the contamination of our groundwater and lagoon.

In low-lying areas with high groundwater table, the groundwater can interfere with the processes of septic systems, because it can enter the tanks or cause problems with the soak pits. In areas with high groundwater table water from septic tanks can go in and out during flooding periods.

How are freshwater resources currently managed in Tuvalu?

One of the main tasks of Public Works is to manage the septic systems in all government owned properties. My department is also responsible for distributing water to the public.

There is very little control over any private developments so having a building code and legislation in place is one important way for us to minimize negative impacts from any unplanned developments.

In 1993 a 10-year Water and Sanitation Plan was prepared to assist the Tuvalu Government develop a national strategy to manage all kinds of water. The main goals of this plan were to ensure adequate supplies of good quality water to the public, and the proper management of water after its use (wastewater).

Unfortunately this plan was never put into action.

Can you briefly explain how the Tuvalu IWP is trying to help improve the management of freshwater resources at the community and national levels?

We are now working closely with the IWP and the Water and Sanitation Committee to formulate an Integrated Water Resource Management Plan (IWRMP). It is intended that this plan will be implemented alongside the Tuvalu Building Code.

The Tuvalu Building Code includes guidelines for the harvesting of fresh rainwater and the management of wastewater after use. This code will ensure that all construction meets minimum standards and it will standardize building designs to make sure that sanitary facilities are not contaminating the environment.

The IWP is now also trying to prepare a Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) to try and determine the most cost-effective wastewater management system for Tuvalu. This idea was presented to a recent meeting of Water and Sanitation Committee and it was agreed that this initiative should proceed as soon as possible.

Septic systems can work if they are constructed properly. The septic tanks need to be watertight and they should be constructed according to clear standards and the number of people using the system should be incorporated within the design.

A reticulated system is one option for Funafuti but it’s very expensive to construct and, on top of that, the ongoing operation costs are very expensive as well. If the government has money to install and operate this system in the long term then it may be an option for us to consider.

Composting toilets could also play an important part of Tuvalu’s strategy to try and improve its water supplies. Compost toilets have been proven internationally to be good sanitary systems for areas where the water table is high, especially when the groundwater is forced up during king tides or heavy rainfall. These systems are quite cheap to install and maintain.

At this stage we need to be sure that we understand the best wastewater treatment options that are appropriate for Tuvalu. That is the key issue that we are now trying to address with with IWP.