The first of a number of desalination plants destined for Tokelau are due in New Zealand this weekend.
Tokelau is in the grip of a drought, though water is being delivered this weekend by a US Coastguard cutter, the Walnut, and that's expected to ease immediate concerns.
The Apia-based administrator for the Tokelau government, Jo Suveinakama, says the villages will soon need to produce their own drinking water and will be reliant on desalination units.
"Well we understand that they will be arriving, the first one will be arriving in New Zealand at the end of this week, and the other two will arrive about three days after, and we are hoping that we will actually be able to go through some training process here before they're actually shipped up to the islands."
Jo Suveinakama says once they have solved the drinking water issue, they plan to address all the issues surrounding water or the lack of it.
