A Cook Islands Government official says mistakes were made on the feasibility on a water mains project on Rarotonga.
Last week the contractor of the project to lay new mains under 25 kilometres of road said the improved water pressure is too much for houses to handle.
He said 40 percent of houses had old plumbing the new system will cause burst pipes and major leaks.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure Mac Mokoroa says the problem should have been foreseen when the project began, but he has only started in the job since July.
He says the ministry will soon make a proposal to solve the issue, but it may have to be up to families to foot the bill.
"Yeah most definitely that groundwork should have been undertaken prior to this project being taken. The people who put together the feasibility, it would have to be someone from the ministry. It would be nice if households undertake that exercise of sorting out any leakages inside their home."
The Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Mac Mokoroa.
