The Water Authority of Fiji is calling on its customers to conserve water and to ensure they have a sufficient supply for at least two days. This advisory comes as the Tamavua system is facing significantly low levels of its raw water sources.
Currently, out of six primary raw water sources, five are at critical levels: Headwork’s 1, Headwork’s 2, Headwork’s 3, Waimanu Pump Station, and Savura Pump Station. In the Central Eastern region, of the 20 water sources monitored, nine have reached critical levels, including those already mentioned, while another five are normal to nearing critical status, showing a consistent decline in water levels and flow rates.
Samuela Rokovaleusa, the Acting Chief Operating Officer of WAF, stated that recent rainfall has had minimal effect on water levels and there is a possibility of further decline if significant rainfall does not occur soon. He noted that the lack of rainfall over the past couple of months has left most sources at base flow conditions, with total stream flows heavily reliant on groundwater.
Rokovaleusa emphasized that the shortage of raw water due to low rainfall in the catchments is resulting in lower treated water production and a declining supply level for the Tamavua Reservoir. This decrease in raw water availability has a direct adverse effect on water production, which subsequently leads to a reduction in reservoir levels. The WAF Hydrology Team is closely monitoring conditions at the main raw water sources.
He warned that areas served by the Tamavua Water Treatment Plant may experience temporary disruptions as WAF Operations Teams may need to adjust valves in response to the levels of treated water production.