Infrastructure Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau.

Government has taken progressive steps to ensure the citizens of Fiji do not face water disruptions again.

This was said by Infrastructure Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau after the Water Authority of Fiji was allocated a budget of $250.8 million for the new fiscal year.

Ro Filipe says $118.1 million is allocated for operational expenditure and $132.7 million for capital expenditure.

According to the minister, this budgeted allocation is targeted towards the upgrading of WAF’s existing water and wastewater infrastructure and improving service sustainability through an efficient and robust water supply system.

He says government will continue efforts to connecting villages and communities living outside the Central Business District through a Water Allocation Program.

He says this includes a feasibility study of new potential water sources in various locations as well as the construction of new and upgrading old reservoirs in areas such as Sigatoka, Tavua, Malaqereqere and Levuka.

There are also pipe-laying works planned in Savudrodro, maintenance and upgrading of pipelines from Sawani to Coloisuva and also a dedicated 11km Lokia pipeline in the Central Division in addition to others.

He says water loss through aging pipelines is a key issue for WAF and government has allocated $5.8m to specifically address leakages or Non-Revenue Water.

Ro Filipe says a non-revenue water specialist from the ADB has been engaged to develop a performance-based contract for non-revenue water reduction within the Suva-Nausori, Nadi-Lautoka water supply systems.

$4.9m is allocated to developing and implementing a robust asset management program, which Ro Filipe says has been the subject of past audit reports while $4.6 million is budgeted for the digital transformation of WAF.

According to the minister, the Rewa River Water Supply project which is currently underway is due to come online towards October and government is committed to seeing this project through and completed on time.

Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.