A new $4million intake infrastructure is being designed for the Nasivi raw water pump station in Vatukoula where nearby communities have been affected by low water supply for many years.
In Parliament, Infrastructure and Public Works Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau said this was part of the Water Authority of Fiji’s long-term solution to ongoing water supply issues faced by residents of Mataniwai Top, Balata Back Rd, Korovou Rd 1 to 4, Yaladra Top and Malela Naba 3.
He said the zones were primarily serviced by the Malela reservoir, which becomes vulnerable during periods when water levels drop to critical thresholds.
“This decline is typically caused by reduced raw water inflow from the Nasivi raw water pump station and reduction in water production at the Vatukoula water treatment plant,” Ro Filipe said.
He said this situation highlighted the urgent need for infrastructure upgrades and resilient measures to ensure the continuity and reliability of water services and climate-related disruptions.
“WAF has launched a long-term infrastructure development project under its capital investment program, aligned with the Water Sector Strategy 2050 as part of this initiative.
“The Water Authority has engaged a professional engineering consultant to design a new intake structure at Nasivi in Vatukoula.
“The primary goal is to improve the resilience, reliability and operational efficiency of the raw water pump station.”
Ro Filipe said the new intake was being engineered to withstand extreme weather, particularly heavy rainfall and flooding that currently caused blockages at the Nasivi intake and reduced inflow to the Vatukoula treatment plant.
“Once completed, the upgraded intake infrastructure will significantly enhance the reliability of the Tavua water supply scheme and reduce the frequency and severity of water supply disruptions for the communities we’re discussing today.”