Heavy overnight rain has forced the Water Authority of Fiji to delay completion of critical repair works on a major trunk main that supplies greater Suva, with the utility now targeting 12pm midday today to finish the job.
WAF confirmed the repair on the DN 600 trunk main linking the Waila Water Treatment Plant to the Wainibuku Reservoir was progressing on schedule until about midnight, when persistent rainfall and rapidly deteriorating ground conditions at the work site disrupted operations. “The new anticipated timeframe for completion of repair works is now scheduled for 12pm midday today,” the authority said in a statement, adding that the repair area had become heavily waterlogged and soggy, complicating access and work for crews and contractors.
Despite the stoppage, WAF said two of the three trunk mains between Waila and Wainibuku remain operational, allowing roughly 60 per cent of normal inflow to continue to the Wainibuku Reservoir and other dependent storage. That interim flow has helped avert a full outage, but customers across the greater Suva area should expect continued low water pressure and intermittent supply until repairs are completed and normal flows are restored.
WAF said the overnight delay was necessary to protect the quality of the repair work and the health and safety of workers operating under difficult conditions. Repairs continued where it was safe to do so, with crews working into the night until the worsening weather and waterlogged ground made further progress untenable. The authority said it was taking additional precautions on site and working to expedite restoration, while noting the revised completion time remains subject to weather and ground conditions.
The heavy rainfall that disrupted the repair follows forecasts of active weather affecting Viti Levu. Meteorological services have warned of showers and possible heavy falls associated with an active trough and Tropical Disturbance systems affecting the region in recent days, a pattern that increased the likelihood of soggy and unstable ground along the trunk main corridor.
For now, WAF customers in suburbs and communities served from Wainibuku and adjacent reservoirs should prepare for continued low pressure or intermittent taps until the midday target is met. The situation will remain under review if rains persist; WAF said it would continue to monitor site conditions and make updates as work progresses.