The government is intensifying efforts to tackle Suva’s ongoing water problems, focusing on immediate relief and long-term solutions.

Public Works Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau states that the Water Authority of Fiji has taken steps to improve supply, including the installation of two extra pumps at the Tamavua Water Treatment Plant.

These pumps are expected to boost water output to reservoirs that serve Suva, Lami, and surrounding areas.
Plans are also in place for a new 20-megalitre compact water treatment plant.

Similar systems have been set up in Nabouwalu and other parts of Fiji, helping to ease supply pressures.

“That’ll add to the capacity for the Tamavua Water Treatement Plant which will further alleviate the issues here.”

If approved, Ro Filipe says that this additional plant would expand the Tamavua facility’s capacity, reducing the strain on existing infrastructure.

One of the largest projects in the pipeline is the Sawani to Colo-i-Suva upgrade.

This initiative has already gone through the tender process, with work set to begin in April.

The project, expected to take 12 months, will involve new pipelines, pumping stations, and reservoir upgrades to improve water access in high-demand areas.

WAF Acting Executive Seru Soderberg says a key focus is ensuring the Tamavua plant operates at full capacity at all times.

“We face treatment inefficiencies at the treatment plant and those treatment inefficiencies, we are looking at tackling those through those new pumps that we have installed but those are all temporary measures while we wait for the full investment, the 20-megalitre water treatment plant.”

Interruptions caused by turbidity when dirt and debris affect water clarity have been a major issue, and upgrades aim to minimize these disruptions.

Ro Filipe acknowledges the complexity of resolving Suva’s water issues, which stem from aging infrastructure and rising demand.

However, he remains confident that ongoing projects will improve supply reliability before the next general election in 2026.

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