Fiji has accelerated its push to widen access to piped water, with the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) delivering 3,308 new household connections in 2022–23 and laying 33 kilometres of mains in 2023–24 that the Ministry for Public Works says now serve about 47,000 people. Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau on Thursday framed the figures as part of a wider programme of investments and projects aimed at strengthening supply, particularly for urban corridors and vulnerable rural communities.
Among the projects Tuisawau highlighted is the $17 million Koronivia–Lokia mains in the Central Division, which he said will boost piped supply for roughly 100,000 residents. Rural works in Nadroga–Vusama added 8.4 kilometres of pipeline serving about 130 households, while the Nabouwalu scheme — a $5.4 million investment — now delivers two million litres of treated water daily to some 3,000 people in the Northern Division. WAF also reported installing 1,800 new water meters across its network last year.
The ministry’s update named several other completed and ongoing projects. A submarine pipeline to Malake Island now provides clean water to more than 600 island residents, and a $9.6 million pipeline in Nadi has improved supply for approximately 25,000 people in the Western Division. Taken together, recent pipe installations are estimated to be reaching about 47,000 Fijians, the ministry said.
The government is budgeting $259 million for the water sector in 2024–25 and is aiming for 95 percent capital project execution. That funding will support a series of larger interventions flagged as priorities for addressing chronic pressure points in the network. In Suva, upcoming works include the 11.7‑kilometre Princess Road pipeline and a proposed $17 million upgrade or new treatment plant at Tamavua, which officials say is designed to help secure 24/7 supply for an estimated 230,000 people in the Suva–Lami corridor.
The Tamavua initiative follows earlier warnings from WAF executives about sustained demand and turbidity challenges at the existing Tamavua treatment plant. In January coverage, WAF’s chief executive described measures such as the Colo‑i‑Suva program that are already being used to rebalance demand and reduce strain on Tamavua; the new funding and planned Tamavua works represent the next phase of that response, officials said.
The launch of the Water Sector Strategy 2050 in April 2024 underpins the portfolio of projects, setting a long‑term goal of climate‑resilient, inclusive water access. Tuisawau said the investments form part of a broader national effort to protect communities against cyclones and drought and to recognise water as a “fundamental right.”
Ministry officials say the immediate challenge is to maintain the momentum: delivering planned capital works on schedule and translating budgeted sums into completed infrastructure. If achieved, the combination of pipe extensions, household metering and targeted treatment upgrades is expected to raise service levels in both densely populated corridors and remote island and rural communities over the coming year.
Leave a comment