Schools in the Central Division will remain open despite a scheduled water disruption due to maintenance work by the Water Authority of Fiji. The Ministry of Education has taken proactive measures to ensure that schools are prepared for the situation.
According to a statement, the Assets and Infrastructure Services (AIS) has been inspecting WASH facilities along the Lami to Nausori corridor throughout the week as part of the Global Handwashing Celebration. This assessment included checking the capacity of water tanks in schools to guarantee an adequate water supply for students. The Ministry has ensured that water tanks are filled and additional resources are available. Parents can feel assured that there are measures in place to support students, allowing teaching and learning to continue without interruption.
WAF chief operating officer Seru Soderberg explained that the maintenance plan involves connecting a 900-meter pipeline from the Viria water treatment plant to one of the three pipes at the Waila water treatment plant leading to the Wanibuku Reservoir. He added that this plan means only one of the three pipelines to the Wanibuku reservoirs will be taken offline during the work.
The Water Authority of Fiji has been announcing the planned maintenance since September 20, which has experienced two delays before a public advisory was issued on September 25, just six days ahead of the scheduled work. The maintenance is set to begin at midnight Thursday and last until Sunday.