Residents of Valenicina Settlement which is located about 5 minutes from Lami Town are calling for regular water supply as the children who have to go to school and people who have to go to work have to run up the hill sometimes to get bathing water from a nearby river.
Aisake Delai who has lived in Valenicina Settlement for 30 years says sometimes the water will be out for weeks or even a month.
There was no water in the elevated areas in Valenicina when we went there yesterday afternoon.
Delai says sometimes the water will come on at 9am, and will only be on for 30 minutes.
The Valenicina resident adds the water will come on in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep.
He says they have gotten so used to the water situation there that they just rely on rain water now.
Water Authority of Fiji’s Chief Operating Officer Seru Soderberg says Valenicina is one of the areas which is part of their intermittent supply area listing.
Soderberg says they have areas in the Suva and Nausori corridor where they cannot deliver water on a 24 hours a day basis, but they get water for a certain number of hours a day.
He says if the people in these areas do not get water for a longer period, then water carting services is provided.
Soderberg says this problem will only be fixed after the Viria Water Project is functional.
