Tuvalu’s water crisis: looming challenges and solutions

Water Crisis in Tuvalu

In October of 2011, the island nation of Tuvalu watched as the freshwater lens (a lake of fresh water that floats on top of salt water) on the island was slowly depleted to nothing. The small atoll, along with many other atolls like it, relies heavily on this fresh water lens to supply their citizens with fresh drinking water. As Supplies diminished, and the tropical rains weren't due for several more months, they found themselves in a tight bind, and called on the international community for assistance.

The solutions: Hybrid 48volt DC, solar powered, desalination systems, built by Spectra Watermakers and Enertec Marine Systems in Auckland, NZ.

"The ultra low energy requirements of the Spectra systems have, for the first time, enabled high volume watermaking, powered from a solar energy source." says Enertec's Colin Pawson, who was in charge of designing and integrating the photovoltaics, diesel generator, and battery banks to the desalination system. "Using multiple power sources has allowed us to operate in a variety of environmental conditions, and seamlessly switch from pure renewable sources, to batteries, to a diesel generator, without ever interrupting the supply of potable water."

The island nation is no stranger to desalinated water, having several aging hulks of broken-down, power-hungry seawater reverse osmosis systems on the various islands. What Spectra and Enertec have offered, is a system that can operate purely on solar power for an extended period of time, substantially reducing their reliance on fossil fuels, and increasing their water independence.