The Samoa Water Authority (S.W.A.) is keeping mum on why water supply for over thirty households at Tiapapata has always been muddy and unsanitary despite having metered water supply for over two decades. 

Samoa Observer contacted the S.W.A. last week and a staff member who did not want to be named due to work policies said he will have to approve comments from the Chief Executive Officer before any response can be given.

This newspaper also spoke to the Minister of Works Transport and Infrastructure, Olo Fiti Vaai who was also informed by this newspaper about the condition of the water at Tiapapata on Wednesday this week and he said to send questions to his communications officer and he will respond on that day. The Samoa Observer is still waiting for his response.

This newspaper informed the Minister on Wednesday that the dirty water supplied to families at Tiapapata has been a struggle for the families.

He was also told about the condition of the S.W.A. water catchment at Tiapapata which this newspaper visited and found it to be dirty and unsanitary.

It is also questionable if the catchment has a filtration system to filter out the rubbish and dirt floating in the catchment. The catchment looked as if it was abandoned for years and filled with rubbish, mud and other debris.

While the authorities fail to provide an answer to this newspaper and to the families, the daily struggle for many of these families continues.

The families were only connected to the water supply grid at the turn of the century, however being connected to the water supply has not changed things for the families as they have had to endure unsanitary supply. This means that most of these families hardly use the water from the taps.

Families are having to spend extra on water as they are buying it, some make the regular trips to the laundromat,

Tiapapata resident Evelina Liz Groen shared her daily struggles and that of her family. She said they are storing water in tanks and buying water for consumption.

Her family moved to Tiapapata in 1995 and during those days there was no water supply until the metered water was connected almost five years later.

For the Groen family, their everyday routine is buying water from the shops for consumption, using stored tank water for bathing and cleaning and spending money at a laundromat for their laundry.

Another resident who has lived at Tiapapata for over three decades, Tina Sealiimalietoa also told this newspaper in an interview that it has also become a normal routine for her family to share water with neighbours, store rainwater in tanks and contact the officials for water tank refill.

According to Mrs. Sealiimalietoa, the Tiapapata families were approached and informed by the Samoa Water Supply (S.W.A.) officials that their new line which started being connected in 2019, will be completed in March this year.

However, nothing has been done to date.