Nearly 200,000 residents residing along the Suva-Nausori corridor will face water disruptions from midnight tonight until Sunday due to scheduled maintenance by the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF).
In light of this, the ministries of health and education are rolling out measures to ensure that essential services remain uninterrupted. Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro stated that a meeting with WAF officials is set for today to explore water supply alternatives for affected schools. “We will issue a statement following the meeting and provide schools with coping strategies,” Mr. Radrodro remarked, adding that closing schools will be a last resort.
Meanwhile, Minister for Health Dr. Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu announced that plans are in place to sustain medical services during the water outages. “We are aware of the water disruptions this weekend,” he noted, assuring that guidelines have been established in collaboration with medical centers and the CWM Hospital to ensure services run normally, alleviating public concern.
WAF has advised residents to store enough water for three days and confirmed that water carting services will be readily available for urgent necessities.
WAF Chief Operating Officer Seru Soderberg explained that the maintenance is necessary to connect 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. “Consequently, only one of the three pipelines to the Wainibuku reservoir will be offline, reducing total water flow to 60 percent of its usual capacity,” Mr. Soderberg said.
He noted that the work will be conducted in challenging conditions and a high-water table area, making the operation complex. “The 600mm pipeline will be shut down at midnight on Thursday to allow for dewatering before work commences early Friday morning,” he explained.
Mr. Soderberg acknowledged the inconvenience this may cause but stressed the importance of the work to prevent future problems. “We apologize for any disruptions caused and ensure the public that we are committed to completing the work as quickly as possible, weather permitting.” Residents are encouraged to prepare accordingly and stay informed through WAF’s media outlets for further updates.