WAF taking steps to reduce water disruptions

The Water Authority of Fiji ( WAF) has apologised for the water disruptions in Fiji last weekend. Authority chief executive officer Barry Omundson said: “Unfortunately, there were some factors beyond our control that caused the disruptions. “However, there are some aspects we can improve upon and I have initiated an independent investigation to this end.

“Our teams worked around the clock to normalise water supply, many gave up their weekend.

“Fiji is not unique when it comes to water disruptions, many cities and towns in countries around the world face similar issues for similar reasons. “This is because of increasing demands on ageing infrastructures as populations increase and the urban sprawl expands.

“The Fijian people can rest assured that we are taking measures and developing strategies to minimise water disruptions.”

Replacing old infrastructure

Mr Omundson highlighted the need for a fine balance between replacing the older infrastructure and putting new infrastructure in the ground to cater for the growth.

“The most recent water disruptions, that we are still recovering from, were a result of a combination of things,” Mr Omundson said.

“This included power outages, then our standby generator at a critical site failed – which is under investigation. “Although water pumping resumed in an hour, in that time water levels in our reservoirs were depleted.”

Customers are also encouraged to invest in storage containers or water tanks connected to the water system for storage and backup supply during any unplanned disruption that may arise due to emergency works or natural disasters.

For further enquiries, customers can call 3346777 and 5777 (all-mobile network users), email contact@waf.com. fj or go to the WAF Facebook page at