The Tavua Town Council has warned that the absence of a proper sewage system has reached a critical stage and could pose a serious health risk to residents and businesses.

Appearing before a parliamentary committee, Acting Chief Executive Officer Sireli Korovulavula said the council has held several discussions with the Water Authority of Fiji since 2024 to find a solution.

He says the Water Authority had included a feasibility study for Tavua in its Public Sector Investment Programme submission for the current financial year.

However, the proposal was not approved for funding.

Korovulavula says the Asian Development Bank is also working with the Water Authority on a pilot project in Tavua to assess septic tanks, which could help identify possible solutions.

“So that might come up with something that gives us a solution to this, but it’s going to be a main thing. We have package treatment plants for sewer systems. We have faecal sludge treatment plants.”

He says smaller municipalities may benefit more from package treatment plants or sludge treatment facilities rather than waiting to be connected to a large centralized sewage system.

Committee members expressed concern that further delays could create health and environmental problems for the town and its surrounding communities.

They called for more information on the council’s submissions and the immediate funding and resources required to address the issue.

The council also highlighted wider financial challenges, saying its limited revenue base is largely sufficient only to meet operational expenses.

It is awaiting the gazetting of revised fees, which have remained unchanged for about 20 years.

The council says the government assistance and the reintroduction of a challenge fund would help smaller municipalities undertake major capital projects that cannot be financed through their existing revenue.