The Water Authority of Fiji will soon charge restaurants and industries that dump waste into their sewer lines.

The Authority is working closely with the Commerce Commission in drawing up the charges.

WAF acting CEO Opetaia Ravai says – the oil and grease dumped puts too much pressure into the system thus causing blockage.

“We are encouraging them with the policy to have some sort of free treatment from their bio-products before it reaches our sewer system because there will be charges imposed to businesses or industries that do not comply.”

Meanwhile – through CCTV footage from the Suva City Council – the WAF has identified those who are illegally connecting their storm-water drains to their system.

“We also have the technology that we acquired from Christchurch which was used in the earthquake there. The CCTV cameras can go directly into the pipes and pin-point where the illegal connections are.”

The Authority is giving these companies and industries until August 14th to set up their own connection to avoid penalties.