Water levels at the Vaturu Dam which supplies water to Nadi and Lautoka are critically low due to a dry spell affecting the Western Division.
As of 23 December, 2019 water levels at the Dam stood at 521 metres above mean sea level.
Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) CEO, Barry Omundson urged Fijians to be mindful and conserve water this holiday season.
“Due to the lack of rainfall, we are experiencing a low inflow of raw water from the Vaturu Dam to the Nagado Water Treatment Plant”, said Omundson.
“Our team is working around the clock and doing everything possible to maintain a consistent water supply for Fijians.”
“It is imperative for the public to save water and use it wisely, as the delivery of clean and safe drinking water to as many Fijians as possible is a priority for WAF,” Mr Omundson emphasized.
“From an operational perspective, we are looking at alternative sources of water and may throttle water levels in the evening to maintain acceptable pressure.”
“I strongly urge members of the public to please practice water conservation in your homes and at workplaces, as we need to work together to manage this finite resource.”
Mr Omundson said that it is paramount that every household store up to two to three days of water supply for any emergency use to sustain them in case of an unforeseen water disruption until assistance arrives.
WAF urges customers in Nadi and Lautoka to minimize water usage particularly for car washing, watering of plants and gardens, irrigation of new turf and topping up of swimming pools. Washing of hard surfaces, like walls, driveways and footpaths is strongly discouraged.
As part of the ‘Level 1 Water Restriction’ currently in place, WAF will be carrying out operational works in an effort to maintain the treated water levels in the service reservoirs. Therefore, certain areas may experience intermittent water supply from now until further notice.