the real problem is water

In Lae where the Markham river is so big and muddy and silts up the Huon Gulf there is a water problem not so far away in the dry season which we in the city are protected from - except in blackouts. At the Rotary meeting three weeks ago the club had the Principal of a school up the road about two hours away talk about the water supply problem in the dry. Children were disciplined (I'm not sure how) if they did not bring to school a bottle of water with them. I'm sure this does not even happen even in the drought areas of Australia. The school has no tanks for a reservoir and so flushing of toilet and regular drinking water is a problem for the school. Rotary is going to erect some tanks in early May. As for Lae, even after a night of very heavy rain it just seems to go straight through the soil. This is apparently the origin of the water in the great sub- artesian basin in Australia.
It is very quiet in the office today as graduation occupies the campus. I'm just refreshing my presentation for the Distance Learning seminar in Port Moresby on Monday and adjusting some ideas for the series of seminars which John and I have been presenting over the last fortnight. The VC is to chair one of the sessions in PM so that is encouraging to realise his enthusiasm for DL which he is now pushing is made evident in his participation in this way.