THE Water Authority of Fiji will commit $8.2million to replace old water mains supplying Sigatoka town.
Riddled with water issues for several years as a result of aging infrastructure, the Water Authority of Fiji confirmed a more permanent solution has been in the works over the past few months.
“To address this longstanding issue, WAF is replacing the old mains with a new DN600 ductile iron cement-lined (DICL) trunk main,” a WAF statement to this newspaper stated.
“This Government funded $8.2m project, delivered by China Railway First Group, involves the construction of approximately 2km of pipeline from Lawai Reservoir to Sigatoka Town. “To date, 80 percent of works have been completed, with 1.60km of the pipeline already laid.”
The authority emphasised that the project is expected to benefit approximately 5000 households when it is commissioned in less than three months. “Once commissioned at the end of October 2025, the new DN600 main will significantly reduce the frequency of service disruptions, resolve operational challenges, and improve water supply reliability for approximately 5000 households, benefitting around 25,000 people.
“This upgrade also complements planned capital works to expand treatment capacity and strengthen storage infrastructure. “Construction is progressing in a challenging environment along Valley
Rd, which already houses three major trunk mains.
“Limited space, traffic congestion, heavy haulage by logging trucks, and proximity to existing pipelines require careful water distribution management. “During this period, some temporary supply
adjustments may be necessary to enable works to proceed without compromising essential services.”
In the meantime, the authority stated that as work progressed, road conditions would also be temporarily affected. “WAF also recognises that road conditions may be temporarily affected during these works. Upon project completion, the new trunk main will allow the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) to upgrade Valley Rd without risk of reworks.
“Road reinstatement will be carried out in accordance with FRA’s corridor access request process and the code of practice for utility operators’ access to road corridors.”