Nearly all households in Fiji’s Central Division are now receiving around-the-clock piped water, the government told Parliament, marking a notable improvement in the region’s service reliability. Responding to a question from opposition MP Hon. Vijay Nath, Ro Filipe Tuisawau, the minister responsible for the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF), said operational data and ongoing service monitoring show approximately 94 percent of households in the division are now getting a consistent 24‑hour supply.
The statement updates earlier public figures that cited roughly 90 percent coverage, with the minister attributing the upward revision to more comprehensive performance data collected across the network. Tuisawau told MPs the progress reflects intensified monitoring and operational adjustments by WAF as it works to stabilise supply after years of intermittent service in some areas.
Despite the improvement, WAF acknowledged several persistent constraints that continue to disrupt supply to the remaining households. The authority highlighted ageing infrastructure and limits in overall water production capacity as primary long-term issues. Adverse weather events were singled out as an immediate risk: heavy rainfall increases turbidity in raw water sources, reducing the efficiency of treatment plants, while flooding and debris can damage pipelines and hinder repair crews’ access to affected sites.
To address those vulnerabilities, Tuisawau outlined a pipeline of major infrastructure projects underway or planned for the Central Division. These include an upgrade to the Rewa River raw water intake, a programme of pipeline replacements, and construction of a new pump station and reservoir at Kalabu Road. Separately, WAF has scheduled a $12 million upgrade to the Tamavua Water Treatment Plant aimed at increasing treatment capacity and improving the overall resilience of the supply system.
The minister framed the investments as part of a broader government commitment to ensure all households in the Central Division eventually receive a continuous, safely managed water supply. “Government remains firmly committed to improving service delivery and ensuring that all households in the Central Division have access to safely managed, reliable, and continuous water supply,” WAF said in its parliamentary response.
WAF did not provide a timeline in Parliament for when full 24‑hour coverage would be achieved, but the authority signalled that the combination of source upgrades, treatment plant investment and targeted pipeline works is intended to reduce disruptions linked to both infrastructure shortfalls and weather-related events. Officials said they will continue service monitoring to verify improvements and guide further investments.
The latest figures and the list of planned works represent the most detailed public update to date on water services in the Central Division, clarifying the recent jump from earlier estimates and identifying the technical and environmental challenges that must be overcome to reach universal continuous supply.