Residents and business houses in a large part of Port Moresby city and parts of Central province woke up this morning to water shortage or no water supply at all because vandals decided to destroy the air valve on a water trunk main at Waigani.
According to Water PNG Limited, the incident occurred over the weekend along Pitpit Street where the act of vandalism by the community led Water PNG having to shutdown water supply to a large area with these areas continuing to face water disruptions since yesterday, Monday 05th February.
The areas affected are Gerehu stages 1 to 7, Rainbow Estate, the Papua New Guinea National Research Institute, Baruni village, Motukea, Porebada and Roku villages, the University of Papua New Guinea, Tokarara, Ensisi Valley, Burns Peak, Murray Barracks, Hohola 1 to 4, North Waigani, June Valley and Wagani Drive.
“The immediate shutdown will allow Water PNG to carry out repair works to our vandalized water valve on our water trunk along Pitpit Street (outside Telikom Compound). Water supply to the affected areas will be restored once the maintenance work is complete, ” Water PNG said in a notice.
The State owned water company also stressed that vandalism to its properties is a crime and is totally unacceptable and anyone caught doing it will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Water PNG also sincerely apologizes for the inconveniences caused.