Approximately 200,000 residents living along the Suva-Nausori corridor will face water supply disruptions starting at midnight tonight and lasting until Sunday due to scheduled maintenance conducted by the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF).
To mitigate the impact of these disruptions, the ministries of health and education have developed strategies to ensure that essential services remain operational. Education Minister Aseri Radrodro stated that he would meet with WAF officials today to explore alternative water supply options for schools affected by the outages. He emphasized, “Closing schools will be our last resort,” and planned to issue guidance on coping mechanisms following the meeting.
Health Minister Dr. Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu confirmed that measures are in place to ensure that medical services remain uninterrupted during this period. He reassured the public, stating, “We are aware of the water disruptions this weekend,” and noted that a plan has been coordinated with medical centers and the CWM Hospital to maintain normal operations.
WAF has advised residents to store enough water for three days, assuring them that water carting services will be available for urgent needs.
The reason for the water disruptions stems from essential work 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. WAF chief operating officer Seru Soderberg explained that only one of the three pipelines to the Wainibuku reservoir will be out of service, reducing the total water flow to 60% of its usual capacity.
He noted that the work will be undertaken in challenging terrain with a high water table, complicating the operation. The shutdown of the 600mm pipeline will commence at midnight tonight to allow for draining before work begins Friday morning. Soderberg acknowledged the inconvenience this will cause but underscored the work’s importance in preventing future issues, stating, “We apologize for any inconvenience caused and assure the public that we’ve streamlined the process to complete the work as swiftly as possible, weather permitting.”
Residents are encouraged to prepare accordingly and stay informed through WAF’s media channels for updates.