Water use Drinking and household use in both rural villages and in urban centres account for the largest water withdrawal in the country. There is limited agricultural water demand because most crops are rainfed. The industrial sector withdraws water for fish processing cannery, palm oil factory, mining operations and some small manufacturing industries. Although the demands for industry are still relatively small there is considerable potential for future growth (SOPAC, 2007). On the larger islands, surface water in the form of streams, springs or rivers is the main source of drinking water. Some communities on the higher volcanic islands also use groundwater for domestic purposes. The major users of groundwater resources are the capital city Honiara and the Guadalcanal Plains. Approximately 20-30 percent of Honiara water supply is sourced from groundwater. The Guadalcanal Plains on the northeast coast of Guadalcanal have abundant potential for groundwater. In areas where surface water supply is not available for farming, groundwater is used if availableIn urban areas, piped water accounts for 75 percent of total water withdrawal, rain water tanks account for 22 percent, bore hole/spring/wells account for 1 percent, and other sources account for 2 percent. On the small atoll islands and islets where water is scarce, rainwater is collected for drinking and brackish water from shallow hand-dug wells is utilized for most of their other domestic needs. Dug wells have been used to collect water but due to its relative poor quality (saline) rainwater is used for drinking and cooking. (ISF-UTS, 2011; SOPAC, 2007).

(Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).)