About 45 per cent of the household population uses drinking water contaminated with E.coli, says a survey conducted in 6000 homes from March to April last year.
The Fiji Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2021 found that water sources in the Eastern Division had the highest percentage of E.coli at 94 and lowest in the Central at 24.
The survey results also revealed that the poorest homes reported 71 per cent E.Coli contamination compared with 16 per cent in richer homes.
According to the MICS, 72 per cent of water supply in rural areas was contaminated with E.Coli, compared with 13 per cent in urban areas.
In terms of drinking water coverage, only 31 per cent of Fijians had access to a safely managed water – supply that was accessible on premises, available when needed and free from contamination.
According to the survey, 67 per cent of Fijians had access to basic water supply, 0.1 per cent had access to unimproved supply and 1 per cent had no supply at all.
The MICS also revealed 43 per cent of people living in urban areas and 13 per cent in rural areas had access to safely managed supply, and 57 per cent in the urban and 82 per cent in rural areas had access to basic supply.
In terms of rural areas, 0.2 per cent had access to unimproved supply and three per cent had no service at all.
In terms of availability of sufficient drinking water in the month preceding the survey, rural areas reported 56 per cent compared with 53 per cent in urban, Eastern Division reported 80 per cent compared with 41 per cent in the Central, and the poorest reported 58 per cent, compared with 51 per cent in middle-income earning households.
The Fiji MICS 2021 was conducted by the Fiji Bureau of Statistics, Health Ministry and UNICEF from March to April last year in 6000 households across the country.
