BY CHRIS ALEX
As water scarcity tightens its grip on remote Pacific islands, New Zealand-based environmental solutions provider Bluemont has set its sights on bringing relief to Rennell and Bellona, the most water-stressed province in the Solomon Islands.
Present at the Pacific Water and Wastewater Conference 2025 (PWWC2025) and the 9th Pacific Water and Wastewater Ministers Forum, Bluemont is showcasing its innovative, solar-powered desalination systems, a potential game-changer for island communities struggling with drought and saline groundwater.
Representing the company at the event, Australian water sector expert Paul Hart introduced the community-based solution that Bluemont is advocating for: solar desalination units housed in compact, containerized systems that operate entirely off-grid.
“These systems are built for the Pacific.
“They’re clean, reliable, and scalable. For places like Rennell and Bellona, where communities depend solely on rainwater and groundwater is too salty to use, this technology can be life-changing,” said Hart in an exclusive with Island Sun News.
Bluemont has already submitted a grant proposal to Renew Pacific, developed in partnership with Solomon Islands’ Minister of Traditional Governance, Peace and Ecclesiastical Affairs, John Tuhaika Jr.
The request seeks funding for four units to be installed across critical communities on Rennell and Bellona.
As climate-driven water challenges escalate, Bluemont hopes its installations in Rennell and Bellona will act as proof-of-concept for national and regional replication, offering a lifeline to island communities grappling with water scarcity.
Each unit is capable of producing 12,000 liters of safe drinking water per day, enough to support the daily needs of hundreds of people. The unit displayed at PWWC 2025 provides a smaller model, generating 4,300 liters per day, aligned with WHO guidelines for community consumption.
“These communities have no access to clean groundwater.
“They’ve drilled boreholes only to find salt. But with solar desalination, you bypass that problem entirely. You just need sunlight and seawater both abundant here,” Hart explained.
The Bluemont system stands out for its sustainable design. It runs entirely on solar power, requires no fossil fuels or chemical additives, and includes a patented freshwater backwash system that reduces maintenance and extends the lifespan of its reverse osmosis membranes.
But Bluemont’s impact goes beyond technology.
“We don’t just deliver systems we build local capacity. Each site will have at least three trained community operators ideally women who have proven to be our most effective stewards of this technology. This is about more than infrastructure, it’s about empowerment and resilience,” Hart emphasized.
As climate-driven water challenges escalate, Bluemont hopes its installations in Rennell and Bellona will act as proof-of-concept for national and regional replication, offering a lifeline to island communities grappling with water scarcity.
Founded in 2004, Bluemont is an Australian-owned company operating out of New Zealand, with a mission to deliver climate-resilient, community-centered solutions. With in-country teams and stocked inventory, the company is equipped for fast delivery and deployment throughout the Pacific.
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Thank you Bluemont .. hope your companys one eye to provide a solar powered water relief to Renbel water stressed is a dream come true…gaoi!