Fiji Government Launches Water and Sanitation Project to Address Growing Urbanization

The Fijian government has unveiled a comprehensive plan to address the growing urbanization of the Nadi-Lautoka urban area and ensure adequate water and sanitation services. The plan, outlined under the Water Sector Strategy 2050, includes investments totaling approximately $1.617 billion over the next 25-30 years.

Minister for Public Works Hon Ro Filipe Tuisawau emphasized the need for significant infrastructure upgrades to meet the increasing demand for water and sanitation services, particularly in light of the region’s growing tourism industry. The plan includes investments of $397 million for water infrastructure and $1.22 billion for sanitation.

Several key projects are already underway, including the rehabilitation of the Warange to Saru Water Treatment Plant Pipeline, the Warange Dam, and the Saru Water Treatment Plant. These aging infrastructures have been affected by disasters and require upgrades to improve their reliability and capacity.

The Fiji Water Board’s raw water trunk mains, which have remained largely unchanged for 64 years, will also be rehabilitated using modern materials to increase their conveyance capacity and reliability. The total investment in these existing improvement works amounts to $9.7 million, with completion expected by December.

Despite these ongoing projects, a water supply gap of approximately 5.4 million liters per day persists in the Nadi-Lautoka area. To address this, the plan includes the expansion of trunk mains, with associated costs of $8.3 million and an estimated execution period of 44 weeks.

Minister Tuisawau acknowledged that these development programs align with the coalition government’s priority of providing sustainable and economically viable water and sanitation services to Fijian citizens.