Hydrological monitoring of Greater Honiara

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Currently, 55% of the greater Honiara population has access to the public water supply system, and less than 10% is connected to the Honiara sewerage network. The remainder rely on rainwater harvesting, shallow wells, urban streams, neighbours, or purchased bottled water. These alternative sources are frequently contaminated, contributing to high rates of waterborne disease, which are further exacerbated by poor hygiene practices and limited access to safe water.

To address these challenges, the Asian Development Bank is funding the Solomon Islands: Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project, which focuses on delivering sustainable, inclusive, and climate‑resilient water supply and sanitation services in greater Honiara and the towns of Auki, Gizo, Noro, Munda, and Tulagi. The project prioritises investments aligned with the national water and sanitation sector plan, aiming to expand access to piped water and sanitation, particularly for low‑income households, reduce reliance on groundwater and rainwater harvesting, and improve the efficiency and resilience of water systems.

To support Solomon Water in achieving these goals, Fluvio has been appointed to undertake hydrological monitoring and catchment investigations to identify upstream water sources and potential turbidity risks. This work has included deployment and maintenance of real‑time water quality monitoring systems, development of operational data dashboards with alerting capabilities, automation of existing monitoring activities and the expansion of monitoring into provisional water sources. All work has been delivered alongside Solomon Water staff with the aim to build local capacity to support the project into the future.