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The Colonial War Memorial Hospital experienced low water pressure this week, with investigations confirming the issue originated from the hospital’s internal plumbing, not the Water Authority of Fiji.

Minister for Public Works Ro Filipe Tuisawau says WAF tests showed normal pressure from the network, and the problem lies within the hospital’s facilities, which are the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and the hospital’s maintenance team.

He says WAF is working closely with the hospital to prevent a recurrence and has been instructed to explore long-term solutions.

“I’ve instructed the water authority to look at what used to be there before when the PWD was there, was responsible for the maintenance. So we are working closely with them, and that is an ongoing, in progress, permanent solution that we are working on.”

WAF Chief Executive Seru Soderberg says the authority received the initial complaint on Tuesday and immediately deployed its operations team.

While network pressure was normal, low pressure persisted internally, prompting WAF to deliver 55,000 litres of water as a temporary relief measure.

He adds a separate referral the following day reported a total lack of water supply.

Soderberg adds that on-site checks confirmed network pressure at 22 metres, meeting WAF’s standards.

He says hospital plumbers later confirmed internal plumbing issues, and rectification works were carried out the same day.

To maintain critical services, WAF delivered an additional 70,000 litres of water by 6pm yesterday and continued deliveries into the evening.

The authority says it remains committed to supporting the hospital and urges the facility to prioritise internal plumbing improvements to prevent future disruptions.

FBC News is seeking a response from the Ministry of Health regarding its monitoring and maintenance of hospital plumbing systems.

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