THERE is no single groundwater level that determines when a borehole or aquifer in Fiji reaches a critical stage, Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo said.
Mr Vosarogo said the country’s aquifers varied significantly depending on their geological and geographical characteristics.
“Aquifers differ: alluvial plains, volcanic islands, small islands and perched systems do not behave the same way,” he said.
He said the ministry considered a borehole to be under stress based on operational indicators rather than a specific water-table measurement.
At commissioning, water committees were given recommended pumping rates.
“Exceeding that rate is often what turns a stressed bore into a failed bore,” he said.
