VAIVAI resident Everett Willmott says water pressure has been steadily decreasing over the past few weeks.
Yesterday, Mr Willmott and his neighbours were at the nearby Vaivai River where they spent the day fishing and cooling off from the heat.
“When there’s a low supply at home we come to the river,” said Mr Willmott.
“It’s been like this for the past few weeks.
“This heat is different. You can see everywhere it is just dry.”
Former Lautoka Rural advisory councillor Satish Chand said boreholes and small streams have dried while the larger rivers have narrowed in size.
“When the bigger rivers start to dry up, it will be a very big problem, especially for our farmers who have animals that depend on the river,” he said.
“For farmers, they will find it very difficult to plant new crops because the soil is too dry.”
In an advisory for residents in Lautoka and Nadi, the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) urged residents and businesses to conserve water.
“WAF kindly encourages everyone to prioritise water for drinking, cooking, personal hygiene and sanitation and to reduce non-essential use wherever possible,” WAF said in statement.
“We also kindly ask hotels, resorts and other businesses to review water use in landscaping, recreation and daily operations, and encourage staff and guests to support conservation efforts.”
