International Source Book On Environmentally Sound Technologies for Wastewater and Stormwater Management


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<International Source Book On Environmentally Sound Technologies
for Wastewater and Stormwater Management>

8.2 Collection and transfer (Topic b)

Approximately 6.1 million people live in the Pacific SIDS of which 3.7 million people (or about 60%) live in Papua New Guinea alone. Of the total population approximately 694,200 (or 11%) are serviced by a reticulated wastewater system. If PNG was excluded from the calculation then approximately 546,000 people out of 2.4 million (or 23%) have access to reticulated wastewater systems. Note that of those people serviced by collection systems (694,200), wastewater from over 100,000 people is discharges direct into the coastal environment without treatment. Also many of the existing treatment plants do not preform as designed. Table 8.3 shows SIDS populations, the number of people served by wastewater reticulation systems and where the effluence is discharged.

The balance (or majority) of the people would dispose their waste through septic tanks, various types of latrines and over water latrines. In some SIDS composting toilets have been introduced as an alternative method of disposal. The bush and beach are still used for defecation, especially by children, in many countries.

It appears that combined wastewater and stormwater collection sewers are not used in the Region. However as mentioned in Section 8.1.3, stormwater does find its way into wastewater systems during periods of rainfall.

There are all types and sizes of pipes used in the Region to reticulate wastewater. Generally it is current practice in the Region to use plastic pipes, however other pipe materials that best suit the situation are used.

In Kiribati, Marshall Islands and Nauru, seawater is used to flush toilets and convey sewage to discharge outfalls. Seawater, used to conserve limited freshwater resources, is pumped to household toilet tanks and collected again for disposal in separate reticulation systems or to septic tanks.

**Table 8.3: Estimate of Regional Population and Population Sewered**
Country
Country	Population	Population Sewered	Outfall Discharge
American Samoa	35,000	15,500	Ocean
Cook Islands	18,000	None	None
Kosrae, FSM	7,700	1,000	Ocean
Pohnpei, FSM	35,200	14,100*	Ocean
Chuuk, FSM	52,000	9,000*	Ocean
Yap, FSM	11,300	1,100	Ocean
Palau	15,000	5,500	Ocean
Fiji	760,000	110,000	Ocean/River
French Polynesia	196,000	ND	ND
Guam	139,000	151,000***	Ocean
Kiribati	72,000	20,000*	Ocean
Nauru	8,500	3,000*	Ocean
New Caledonia	165,000	92,700	Ocean
Niue	2,500	None	None
Mariana Islands	59,000	39,000	Ocean
Papua New Guinea	3,700,000	138,300**	Ocean/River
Rep. Of Marshall Islands	46,200	28,500*	Ocean
Solomon Islands	333,000	25,000*	Ocean/River
Tokelau	1,200	None	None
Tonga	100,000	None	None
Tuvalu	9,000	None	None
Vanuatu	160,000	None	None
Western Samoa	165,000	None	None
TOTAL	6,105,600	694,200

Note: * = Sewered but not treated **=some not treated ***=includes military population
ND = No Data

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