Water disaster

FIJI’S Water Authority of Fiji, probably has the most number of engineers in the whole of the southern hemisphere. And for all their collective engineering nous, one would think that Suva only is undergoing its longest drought ever. Seventeen years and counting.

All their engineering excuses on Suva’s water problems, are, I believe theoretical. Heavy rain for the last month and the reservoir has low water. Floods and there is blockage. In their engineering genius minds, they turn off water in whole areas and the build-up of air pockets will not bust pipes. This is all theory.

Do they have any practical solutions? I guess they do not. The water pipe in Savura crosses a nearby drain/stream and real engineers would have built safeguards already to protect against flash flooding, landslides and the like to protect a main water pipe for Suva’s water reservoir!

Water cuts will continue to the wider Suva community. Water trucks after 2/3 days.

If there is no rain for this Easter weekend, the reservoir will have low to critical water. And still no water. Again theory. Suva now has a water disaster. It’s at a Category 6 level. This is worse than Cyclone Winston at Category 5.

Before 2006, the longest water cut experienced in my Suva area was 12 hours at the most.

Post 2006, water cuts are as frequent as a monthly occurrence. 2023 and early 2024 water cuts are weekly and daily and currently no water at all. And all we receive is a WAF advisory on water theory.

Does the Water Authority of Fiji really have water engineers? Or can we revert to the old water diviners from pre-2006 who knew their way around Suva’s water pipelines. Schools being closed and multiple areas run dry all because theoretically there is no water!

EPELI RABUA Loloma St, Tamavua, Suva