In the remote village of Hihifo on Niuatoputapu Island, in the Kingdom of Tonga, access to clean drinking water is a daily challenge and even more so during periods of infrastructure failure. For Mrs Ana Maui Loketi, a resident whose household includes eight family members, this challenge turned critical early 2025 when a house fire destroyed her home and the 5,000-litre Polyethylene cistern unit equipped with a full rainwater harvesting (RWH) system. This system had been her family's sole reliable source of potable water.
The fire occurred during an already difficult period for the community. In October and November 2025, Hihifo's village reticulation system[1], which supplies non-potable water, failed due to repeated pump station breakdowns. As a result, community members relied on the ocean and local freshwater springs such as Vai-ko-Niutoua for bathing and household cleaning. Under the guidance of the Hihifo Village Water Committee, rainwater was strictly reserved for drinking purposes. The loss of Mrs Loketi's rain harvesting system, therefore, left her family without any secure source of safe drinking water.
Recognising the urgency of the situation, the project team from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR), supported by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Pacific Community (SPC), responded quickly. Between October and December 2025, the team fully replaced the destroyed RWH system. This included installing a new 5,000-litre cistern and all associated components. The intervention restored the household’s access to safe drinking water just in time for the heavy rains in November and December, which filled the tank to capacity.
Mrs Loketi expressed her appreciation for the support received. She noted that the rapid response made it possible for her family to resume daily life with dignity and security, at a time when alternative water sources were limited and unsafe for drinking.
Beyond this household, the project’s support in Hihifo village had wider benefits during the period of reticulation failure. Mrs Ana Ma'u Soakai added, “Before the repairs, when the system broke down, we just had to wait and hope for the best. Now we have our own tanks to rely on. During the last outage, at least we knew the families here had water to use.”
Installation and rehabilitation of rainwater harvesting systems in 2025 provided approximately 440 kilolitres of storage capacity, benefiting 91 households along with schools and essential facilities such as Likamonu Hospital, ensuring continuity of safe drinking water when the communal system was not functioning.
Mr Sione Lino, a town officer in Hihifo, had this to say, “When the reticulation system went down in October and November, it was tough. We had to ration water every day. The tanks installed through the project really helped us keep households, the school, and the hospital going.”
This story illustrates how timely repairs and targeted household-level support can strengthen community resilience. By prioritising rapid recovery and maintaining access to safe water during crises, the project has helped reduce vulnerability for families facing compounding shocks. These efforts align with Tonga’s national priorities for water security and climate resilience, particularly in outer island communities.
As the project expands to Vaipoa, Falehau, Vava’u, and Ha’apai in 2026, similar interventions are expected to continue supporting households and communities. Through the Pacific Partnership for Atoll Water Security and supported by MFAT under the Strengthening Water Resilience of Pacific Outer Island Communities project, practical and responsive investments like this are contributing to more reliable and sustainable access to safe water across Tonga’s outer islands.
[1]A reticulation system is an automated network of pipes and valves designed to efficiently distribute water across land areas and is often installed underground.