00:02In PNG's capital, residents like Cathy are used to making do.
00:07Where we are, water is not so reliable.
00:11While the taps are running, she fills water drums to use when pipes run dry.
00:16It's very frustrating, yeah.
00:19The infrastructure was built by Australia in the 1960s
00:22and has not been sufficiently maintained.
00:24Unfortunately, sometimes it's not until you have an absolute crisis
00:28where you've got no other choice that you get the attention, I guess, of the government.
00:32Now, a major pipeline that supplies more than half the city's water
00:36is at serious risk of rupturing.
00:39The steel walls, once 15mm thick, have eroded to just 2mm in some places.
00:44And a serious leak is getting worse.
00:48Preparation is occurring now, but it's very much last minute.
00:52Repairs are expected to take place next month.
00:55At my level, I was informed of this early this year.
00:58And then, that's the reason why we have a cabinet proposal that came to us three cabinets ago.
01:02But the ABC can reveal claims PNG's state-owned water utility
01:06has been warning the government for more than a year.
01:09We've seen documents that state that multiple critical assets
01:12are showing immediate signs of failure.
01:15And the broader water network is operating under extreme and unsustainable risk.
01:19The documents also claim the PNG government owes $80 million in unpaid water bills.
01:26State-owned enterprises that have been managing utilities
01:29have been, frankly, poorly managed.
01:34In response to questions, PNG's Minister for State-Owned Enterprises, William Doomer,
01:40directed the ABC to water PNG, which didn't respond.
01:44For now, residents and businesses are being urged not to panic.
01:48Their resilience could soon be put to the test.
01:51Give me a deadly.
01:53Yes programmer.
01:56Give me deadly.
01:56Here we have a DEFAMB.
01:57You will need a QUARROTI Earth.
Comments