A ceremony has been held to mark the end of work on upgrading the water supply system in Tonga's capital.
From left: the chair of the Common Utilities Board, Australian High Commissioner Adrian Morrison, His Royal Highness King Tupou Vl, Prime Minister of Tonga Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa; James Lynch, the CEO of the Tonga Water Board and a representative from the China Civil Engineering Construction Company. Photo: ADB
The Mataki'eua system was refurbished with $US16.6 million funding from the Asian Development Bank, Tonga and Australia, to deliver sustainable water supply and sanitation services in Nuku'alofa.
The ceremony led by the King of Tonga, Tupou VI, was attended by the bank's James Lynch, who said residents in the project area would now receive a more reliable 24-hour water supply service.
Mr Lynch said the upgraded system would ensure that water production and water storage were more resistant to Tonga's high incidence of natural disasters.