E.P.C. pond and pipes didn’t cause flooding

19 February 2019, 12:00AM

The Electric Power Corporation (E.P.C.) has assured the public that a pond and pipes that it built were not the cause of flooding during Cyclone Evans in 2012.

The State-owned power supplier gave the assurance during recent consultations with communities on the proposed Alaoa multipurpose dam.

According to a statement, which was issued recently by the EPC, two EPC-employed engineers reassured villagers who attended the consultation that the Samasoni header pond and pipes were not the cause of flooding during Cyclone Evans in 2012.

“The flash flooding was a one-in-100-year flood event resulting in too much water flowing downriver, causing widespread damage and loss of lives. 

The Samasoni header pond in fact assisted in collecting most of the logs from the flash flood which would have washed downstream and added to the damages,” the EPC said in the statement. 

While the Samasoni pipes were washed away by flash flood in 2012, no water came from the pipes as the header pond was blocked with logs, rocks, sand and debris.

The EPC said it was also evident in the flash flooding witnessed during Cyclone Gita last year that no EPC pipelines were damaged, yet flooding still occurred and affected hundreds of those living further downstream from the Vaisigano River.

Based on lessons learnt from the 2012 and 2018 flash flooding, EPC has buried the whole Samasoni pipe line which gave people easy access to their properties and to enable quick evacuation during emergencies.

Villages were also assured that the current access road to plantations and lands above the proposed location will be improved to ensure there is continued access by landowners.

19 February 2019, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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