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Writer's pictureThomas Despin

Sustainable Fresh Water Solutions on Buka Buka Island: How Reconnect Transformed Island Living


Hi there, it’s Thomas Despin, founder of Reconnect.


Five years ago, when I first set foot on Buka Buka Island, coming from Bali, I was captivated by the beauty of Sulawesi and the Togean Islands. I instantly knew I wanted to live here.


That led me to create Reconnect – a "sustainable eco-resort"* designed for those who, like me, wanted to enjoy life on a paradise remote island, while still having access to some modern comfort.


I was only 28, which felt a bit too young to retire, so building a sustainable resort allowed me to live here while creating something I like to call meaningful.


It wasn’t just about creating a resort; it was about building a self-sufficient environment where people could experience island life without sacrificing comfort.


One of our biggest challenges? Fresh water.


*I now tend to avoid "eco" for Reconnect, as eco/sustainability is a constant work in progress, not a label. We still have a lot of room for improvement.



Reconnect Island Resort on Buka Buka Island


The Massive Challenge of Fresh Water on Remote Islands

In the early days, I traveled around the Togean Islands and stayed at various places, writing down everything that made long-term living difficult, or most of the time clearly impossible (at least for me)


Three problems were clear:

  1. Fresh Water Scarcity: Many places relied boat-delivered water or limited rainwater storage, which wasn’t sustainable or reliable.

  2. Electricity Issues: Unstable power sources limited many resorts’ capacity to provide electricity.

  3. Internet Limitations: Remote islands are, well, remote. So phone signal is rare, let alone internet connection.


These challenges were the starting point of how I created Reconnect.


Not only as an "eco-resort", but as a model of sustainable island living that would address these issues first thing.


I made fresh water a priority, and this post shares how we went from relying on gallons of water, to producing clean water all year long, only using solar panels.


Thomas Despin Founder of Reconnect during the early days of the resort
Early days of Reconnect, back when I was sleeping in this unfinished wooden hut. Showered with a bucket. I ended up living there for more than 2 years as we built the rest of the resort.


Common Fresh Water Solutions on Islands


When I started Reconnect, I had no background whatsoever in engineering or construction, so I did what everybody does, and took a sheet of paper, a pen, and I opened Youtube.


But first, I looked at what fresh water solutions other resorts already found in the area.


I wrote down the various methods used across the Togean Islands to supply fresh water to the resorts or villages:

  • Water Deliveries by Boat: This is a very common solution, but it’s expensive, weather-dependent, and unsustainable over time

  • Small Rainwater Collection Tanks: While helpful, small rainwater systems often lack the capacity to sustain resorts through all seasons

  • Small wells: A few resorts dug wells, but they either couldn't provide large amounts of fresh water, or some turned into brackish water

These methods didn’t meet my vision for a sustainable, self-reliant resort, so I had to look into something that could work at a larger scale.



Reconnect’s Solar-Powered Desalination and Rainwater System


Our journey toward water independence began with a desalination plant, capable of producing 350 liters of fresh water per hour. This setup allowed us to meet daily water needs, but had a major drawback: it needs 3,000W/h of electricity.


At the time, our solar farm wasn't large enough to sustain such a high electricity consumption, so we had to use our backup generator almost every day to produce water.


Over time, and because we took the decision to reinvest 100% of what we made back into the resort, we managed to increase our solar energy production, and we have now over 20,000Wp of production on our roof.


This allowed us, for the first time, to produce as much water as we needed, using only energy from the sun.


But we didn’t stop there.


To enhance resilience, we installed a rainwater harvesting system with a 40,000-liter total capacity, giving us a reliable backup during the rainy season, and reducing energy usage during "bad days".


This combined system has been effective, providing sustainable fresh water for our guests and operations for over three years.


However, we started to add more rooms, and decided at the same time to aim for 100% runtime and reliability. Which is what led us to our next move.



buka buka island water transport
How we had to bring water to the island in the early days, loading the boat with gallons to fill up on mainland.


Upgrading Our Water System for Greater Sustainability

Today, we just doubled our desalination capacity to about 650-700 liters per hour, introducing multiple improvements for a more resilient and energy-efficient water supply:

  1. Energy Efficiency with Peak Solar Hours: With the new, larger desalination unit, we’ve reduced the operating hours needed to produce water. By concentrating desalination during peak sunlight hours—when our solar panels are at maximum output—we minimize wear and run times while maximizing energy efficiency.

  2. Enhanced Redundancy: Our original desalination unit will be fully serviced and available as a backup. This means if the main unit requires maintenance, we still have fresh water on demand. With two systems, we’ve created a more resilient setup that ensures water availability in all conditions.

  3. Improved Drinking Water Quality: To provide even safer drinking water, we added a dedicated drinking water plant that produces water meeting WHO standards. This addition reduces our need for importing drinking water gallons, as we now produce safe drinking water directly on the island.

  4. Adaptability in Bad Weather: Our system is also still connected to a backup diesel generator, ensuring continued water production even in cloudy weather. That said, during heavy rainfall, our rainwater collection system still allow us to conserve energy and desalination resources.



buka buka island desalination plant
Technicians from Jakarta working on upgrading us to the new desalination plant.

Another Approach to Water Efficiency: Reducing Fresh Water Usage


As we focused on improving our water production, I also took a closer look at our existing water usage, returning to first principles and questioning the fundamental need for fresh water in each area of the resort.


I began by creating a detailed inventory of every point of water use across the resort and asked myself: What if fresh water became unavailable here? How essential is it? Could we reduce the amount of water we use in these areas?


Through this analysis, I identified three key areas where we were using fresh water unnecessarily, without compromising our guests' comfort:


  • Flushing Toilets: In most countries, toilets are flushed with fresh water—an unquestioned norm, except in places like Hong Kong. After researching this topic and learning from a friend's experience in Alor, we modified the plumbing to switch our toilets to brackish water (from a well we dug at the back of the resort.)

  • Foot Baths: We provide foot baths outside our rooms for guests to rinse their feet before entering. As it turns out, brackish water works just as well for this purpose.

  • Water Hose: In our kitchen area, we added a brackish water hose for staff to rinse the floors and some equipment daily—tasks that don’t require fresh water.


By implementing these changes, we reduced our overall fresh water consumption by an estimated 15-20% daily—a significant improvement in our commitment to sustainability.



Villa Bomba on Buka Buka Island
Villa Bomba on Buka Buka Island. With air conditioning, WiFi and... fresh water! Quite a long way from the first hut we built.

Key Takeaways for Sustainable Fresh Water Solutions

The development of our water infrastructure has been a journey of trial and error, innovation, problem-solving, and adaptation.


Here are a few core principles we’ve learned along the way:

  • Harness Renewable Energy: Using solar power to run our desalination system aligns with our sustainability goals while allowing us to meet the high energy demands of water production.

  • Prioritize Redundancy: With dual desalination units and rainwater collection, we’re prepared for various scenarios, from maintenance needs to fluctuating weather patterns.

  • Invest in Drinking Water Quality: Producing WHO-standard drinking water on-site reduces waste and enhances guest experience while supporting environmental goals.


Building a Model for Sustainable Island Living

Our water system represents what Reconnect stands for: comfort without compromising nature, and innovation driven by necessity.


Every step of the journey—from initial setup to doubling our capacity—has brought us closer to a sustainable water solution that meets our needs and respects the environment.

By sharing this story, we hope to inspire others to explore sustainable approaches to water, especially in challenging, remote environments.


At Reconnect, each drop of water reflects a story of determination and harmony with nature. We invite you to experience that story with us.

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