Expect water cuts across major parts of the Suva–Nausori corridor this afternoon as the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) carries out urgent repair works on a critical trunk main supplying the Wainibuku Reservoir.
The Authority says the planned works has begun, and is expected to continue tomorrow, with water supply restoration gradually starting from around 3am.
However, full normalisation of the system will take several hours as reservoirs are recharged and treatment processes stabilise.
WAF says the repairs will be carried out on a major leakage located at a tee connection between the DN900 Viria trunk main and the DN600 Waila–Wainibuku rising main near the Waila Water Treatment Plant access road.
They say the leak has worsened over time, causing significant water loss and placing strain on pumping operations and reservoir inflows.
WAF warns that without immediate intervention, there is a high risk of a sudden trunk main failure which could trigger a far more severe and prolonged unplanned outage affecting a wider area of the Suva–Nausori system.
During the shutdown, one of the three major rising mains supplying the Wainibuku Reservoir will be isolated, reducing conveyance capacity by about 40 percent.
This will require reduced production at the Waila Water Treatment Plant and is expected to result in low pressure, intermittent supply, or temporary outages for many customers.
Affected areas include communities supplied by the Wainibuku Reservoir and dependent systems, including parts of Nasinu, Nakasi, Nausori, Koronivia, Davuilevu, Kalabu, Vatuwaqa, Raiwaqa, Flagstaff, and surrounding settlements and industrial zones.
Elevated areas and tail-end users are expected to experience longer recovery times.
WAF adds priority supply will be maintained for hospitals and essential services, and water carting trucks will be deployed where necessary to support affected communities.
The authority is urging customers to store sufficient water in advance, use water sparingly during the disruption, and avoid non-essential usage such as car washing and gardening.
WAF is also apologising for the inconvenience and says the works are necessary to prevent a major system failure, reduce water loss, and improve the reliability of the Waila–Wainibuku bulk supply system.
