Water Authority of Fiji CEO Barry Omundson says increasing demand on ageing infrastructure and increasing population are causing constant water disruptions in the greater Suva area.
He says they are taking measures and developing strategies to minimise water disruptions.
Omundson says they have invested $270 million into the Rewa River Water Supply Scheme to build resilience and greater capacity in recognition of Suva’s increasing population.
He says the project is planned to be commissioned in March 2022 with a capacity to supply an additional 40 million litres of water a day in the greater Suva area.
Questions have been raised by residents living around parts of Suva and Nasinu on why they have been facing water disruptions over the past few weeks. They are asking if this is caused by low water levels, increased demand, technical failures and power outages, and what is being done to fix these issues.
Omundson says the recent water disruptions were due to some factors beyond their control, however there are some aspects the Authority can improve on and has initiated an independent investigation into this.
The CEO says disruptions last weekend resulted because of power outages and the failure of a standby generator at a critical site which is also under investigation.
He says the water system along the Suva-Nausori corridor is balanced in way that it can be significantly affected if an asset like the generator fails.
Related story;
