Nearly 200,000 residents living along the Suva-Nausori corridor will face water service disruptions starting at midnight tonight and lasting until Sunday, due to scheduled maintenance by the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF).
In anticipation of these disruptions, the ministries of health and education are putting measures in place to ensure that essential services continue without interruption. Education Minister Aseri Radrodro stated that officials from WAF would meet today to discuss alternative water supply options for schools affected by the outages.
“After the meeting, we will release a statement outlining coping strategies for the schools,” Mr. Radrodro remarked. “Closing schools will be our last resort.”
Health Minister Dr. Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu also confirmed that plans have been established to maintain medical services throughout the weekend. “We acknowledge the impending water disruptions, and we have coordinated with medical centers and the CWM Hospital to ensure normal operations, so there is no need for public concern,” he stated.
WAF has advised residents to store enough water for three days and has guaranteed that water delivery services will be available to meet urgent needs.
WAF’s Chief Operating Officer Seru Soderberg explained that the maintenance work is necessary for connecting a new DN900mm gravity main from the Waitolu reservoir to the existing DN600mm Rising Main from the Waila water treatment plant, which supplies the Wainibuku reservoir. “This means only one of the three pipelines to the Wainibuku reservoir will be offline, leading to a temporary reduction in total water flow to 60 percent of its usual capacity,” Mr. Soderberg explained.
He noted that the work would take place in challenging conditions, particularly because of a high-water table, making it more complex. “The 600mm pipeline will be shut down at midnight on Thursday to drain it before work begins early Friday morning,” he added.
Mr. Soderberg recognized the inconvenience caused by the disruptions but emphasized that these repairs are critical for preventing future issues. “We apologize for the inconvenience and assure the public that we have streamlined the process to complete the work as quickly as possible, depending on the weather,” he remarked.
Residents are encouraged to make necessary preparations and stay informed through WAF’s communication channels for any updates.