Lautoka residents should be informed in advance about water rationing schedules to allow households to prepare for supply interruptions, says Lautoka Residents and Ratepayers Association president Narayan Reddy.
He said residents understood the need for the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) to manage water supplies during prolonged dry weather, but timely communication about when water would be unavailable was essential.
“Some residents will have no water during the day and then it comes on at certain times of the night,” he said.
He said advance notice would allow households to store sufficient water and plan their daily activities accordingly.
“We all understand why this is happening and people have been warned about the long dry weather, but the timing of the rationing of water needs to be disseminated in a timely manner.”
Mr Reddy also called on WAF to repair leaking water pipes in public areas, saying conservation efforts should be supported by fixing damaged infrastructure.
Meanwhile, WAF said customers in elevated areas, at the ends of distribution networks and along rural offtakes on Queens Rd could experience low water pressure or intermittent supply.
Affected communities include those served by the Blackrock, Nagado, Lolobalavu, Nasau, Vuda and Kashmir reservoirs.
WAF said controlled valve operations would be carried out where necessary to maintain reservoir levels and share available water across affected communities.
Some customers could experience temporary interruptions overnight while reservoirs replenished to support daytime supply.
The authority said the measures would be reviewed as conditions changed and further advice would be provided if planned rationing became necessary.
Affected Lautoka areas include Kashmir, Tavakubu, Saru Backroad, Natabua, Vuda Back Road, Saweni, Wairebetia, Velovelo, Lauwaki, Tawatawa, Vaivai and Lomolomo, among others.
