“Life is so hard and I envy those families whodo have water because they have no idea what it’s like to live without water. We can live without electricity but we can’t live without water…”The Managing Director of the Samoa Water Authority (S.W.A), Seugamaali’i Jammie Saena, has assured the restless residents of Aleisa East that their “lifetime drought” will soon end.Assuring that water is on the way, the Managing Director says the Authority is investigating for “an alternative source” whereby water could be provided for hundreds of residents in the area.When that is likely to happen though, she did not say.“As previously discussed, the higher parts of Aleisa Sasa'e is at a higher elevation than the Tapatapao Water Treatment Plant,” she wrote in an email to the Samoa Observer.“Feeding this part from the Tapatapao Water Treatment Plant (W.T.P) is not possible at this time but S.W.A have begun investigations for an alternative source.”So why has it taken this long for the Authority – and the government for that matter - to find water for Aleisa East, which is only a twenty-minute drive from the high rises of Apia?“More and more people have moved to areas where our system does not exist,” Seugamaali’i says. “As mentioned, we are looking intoAleisa Sasa’e for possible scenarios to the water supply and the funding to cater for a possible solution.”The message from the Authority’s Managing Director is good news for Aleisa East residents.But when the Samoa Observer visited the area yesterday, the families there were not convinced, saying they have heard the same thing over and over.In the boiling sun, mothers and their children were carting around buckets in the search for water.One resident, Naomi Mosese, who grew up in the area described the situation as a “lifetime drought.”“When we grew up, we saw our parents suffer to find water and here we are today doing the same thing,” she said.“Now we have children of our own and still nothing has been done.”The Moseses rely on water tank. The best season for them is the Cyclone season because it brings a lot of rain. But they dread the dry season.“We have a water tank but it’s only when it rains then there will be water in the tank. But for the rest of the year, we have walk down the road to cart up water for our needs.”Ms. Mosese said they have visited the Samoa Water Authority countless times.“They told us we have to pay $220tala first,” she said. “It’s $20tala for the survey and $200 for the permit which is ridiculous.”“As a citizen of Samoa, it’s very sad because we live in a country that is supposed to be a developing country. For us here, we don't feel part of it. What do we have to do to get some water up here?”Ms. Mosese said the Authority also promised to send up the water truck.