The Ministry of Health and Medical Services in collaboration with plumbers from the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) have rectified a fault in the diaphragm valve which caused intermittent low water pressure at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital’s East Wing in Suva this week.
In a statement, the ministry said diagnostic work carried out by the joint WAF/CWMH team revealed a fault in the diaphragm valve situated below the CWMH auditorium with the diaphragm stuck within the valve and stopping water flow into the hospital piping system.
“It is believed that this was the cause of the intermittent low water pressure that started on early Monday (11.08.25) morning at the East Wing,” the statement said.
“The ministry alerted WAF who later carted water to fill up the water tanks at CWMH. Normal water supply was restored on Monday evening.
“The same issue at the East Wing occurred again on Tuesday morning as water pressure at the hospital piping system continued to remain low.
“On Wednesday (13.08.25) morning, water levels at the East Wing ran low again while the WAF piping to the hospital had full water pressure.”
The Health Ministry said diaphragm valve was installed by the Japanese contractors when the East Wing was built in 1994 and this was the first time the ministry had encountered this problem.