While households fortunate enough to have access to well water find themselves in a relatively fortunate position, those lacking such access are compelled to depend on costly mineral water, resulting in rapidly accumulating expenses.
Sometimes, we don't realize how crucial things are until they're gone. One of those things is having clean water. While many of us might take it for granted, there are places in the world where getting clean water is a big challenge.
For an extensive period, Maldivians revelled in the luxury of abundant access to pristine water, owing to the island nation's natural clean water sources and the capacity to harvest potable rainwater during the monsoon season. However, everything was disrupted in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, exacerbated by a burgeoning population that intensified the strain on the water supply. Consequently, a significant number of islands in the Maldives witnessed a deterioration in their water quality, with some water sources turning saline. This compelled the country to implement water filtration systems to ensure continued access to clean water.
In the aftermath of these challenges, a substantial portion of the Maldives has come to rely on desalinated water for essential needs, with households depending on filtered water for their day-to-day activities. Despite these efforts, it is disconcerting to acknowledge that a significant water crisis has unfolded on one of the largest islands in the Maldives in the present day. Often, we take for granted seemingly basic necessities like access to clean drinking water, assuming they are immutable. However, this notion is starkly contradicted for the inhabitants of Addu City and its connected islands, who have been grappling with a severe shortage of clean water since the previous week.
In islands such as Addu City, a prevalent practice among the residents involves utilizing both well water and municipal supply water for their day-to-day activities. This approach has gained widespread popularity, particularly in places where well water remains suitable for tasks like showering and dishwashing, albeit not deemed safe for drinking. Islanders typically rely on alternative sources, such as rainwater or filtered water, for their potable water needs. However, since Thursday, December 7th, the supply of clean drinking water in Addu City has been abruptly severed, plunging numerous households into the struggle for access to safe and clean water.
While a substantial number of households in Addu City have the option of using well water, there is mounting concern over the diminishing quality of well water due to its extensive usage—a predicament not unfamiliar to the Maldives. As a majority of residents increasingly depend on well water, the natural waterline experiences a depletion, rendering it progressively less safe for consumption over time. Ibrahim Shinaz, a member of the Addu City Council Korovai state, revealed that the Hithadhu flat area alone consumes an estimated 6,000 liters of water daily. When combined with adjacent areas like Maradhoo, Maradhoofeydhoo, and Feydhoo, the cumulative water usage reaches an alarming level, exacerbating the pressing water supply challenges faced by the residents.
While households fortunate enough to have access to well water find themselves in a relatively fortunate position, those lacking such access are compelled to depend on costly mineral water, resulting in rapidly accumulating expenses. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that a considerable percentage of households, especially in modern constructions like flats and apartments, are being designed without direct access to a well. This trend raises apprehensions about the potential emergence of a similar prolonged water crisis over time, posing a significant concern for the sustainability of water resources for residents in such contemporary living spaces.
While the islanders are currently navigating through the challenges by relying on a combination of well water and rainwater, the prevailing water crisis raises apprehensions that, if prolonged, it could escalate into a more severe and widespread water scarcity issue in the near future.
What caused this water crisis in Addu City and its connecting islands?
The prolonged duration of this issue prompts an inquiry into its root causes, sparking concerns about the vulnerability of other large islands to similar challenges.
Upon closer examination, it has come to light that both Addu and its connecting islands have been reliant on a single desalination plant (RO plant) for their water supply. This plant, working tirelessly to purify water for thousands of households, lacked a backup facility in any of the connecting islands. Complications with the main RO plant, responsible for pumping water to all the islands, brought the provision of clean water to a standstill, contributing to the current crisis. Despite ongoing efforts to address the emerging water shortage, numerous challenges hinder progress.
City Council Member Shinaz revealed that, despite Addu, the second-largest island in the Maldives, grappling with this issue for over two days, the Government of the Maldives has not given adequate attention to the matter. Furthermore, despite a significant duration for the government to acquire spare parts from abroad, it has failed to do so, leaving the populace in a prolonged state of uncertainty as they await a resolution to this pressing problem.
Shinaz elaborated that Fenaka Corporation made an effort to obtain spare parts from the neighboring Koromidhoo, but encountered substantial challenges in the process. Subsequently, the Male’ Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) took the initiative to secure spare parts, intending to expedite the resolution by arranging airfreight for the next day. Unfortunately, the spare parts faced an obstacle when the national carrier, Maldivian Aero, offloaded them.
Following a long wait for the crisis to be averted, spare parts were finally transported from Male’ City, resolving the issue after three days. At the late hours of 9th December 2023, the RO system was finally repaired and Addu City and the connecting islands finlly have access to clean water yet again. In addition to restoring the RO system, Fenaka has also started the work towards finding a long term solution to this problem in order to ensure that such a crisis does not emerge again.
