Burerua villagers in Tailevu will no longer rely on untreated water after the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, commissioned the community’s new water meter project yesterday — a development driven by the villagers themselves after years of unreliable supply.
Residents raised about $11,000 and wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office in 2024 seeking help to secure treated water for the village.
Addressing the people of Burerua in the iTaukei language, Mr Rabuka praised the community for taking the first step towards improving their own services.
He said the project demonstrated the will of the people and highlighted what government support could help facilitate.
He told villagers the initiative removed a dependency mentality and showed that communities could contribute to their own development.
He said Burerua had proven this through their efforts and that their example should encourage others. He also reminded them that while the Government was ready to assist, communities must first be prepared to help themselves.
Water Authority of Fiji CEO Seru Soderberg said Burerua is now connected to the Namau water supply system, commissioned in 2020 and capable of treating five million litres a day.
“This is not the only rural village that will reap this benefit, we are now extending the Namau system to cover the gap between Korovou and Nausori.”
For Burerua villager Vani Bera, the project marks the end of years of hardship.
“We used to drink from rural water scheme, which was not treated nor reliable; we had no water for three weeks due to drought,” she said.
“I wrote to the PM and requested for assistance in cleaner water supply and told the PM we can raise a third of the government fund.”
Yesterday’s commissioning means the village now has reliable, treated water — the result of community effort supported by government and WAF.
