75% of Households in Fiji Lack Wastewater Connections, Warns WAF CEO

Water Authority of Fiji (WAF), CEO, Dr. Amit Chanan, revealed that 75% of households in the country are not connected to any wastewater network.

Speaking at WAF’s Annual Customer Forum at the Holiday Inn, he emphasized that this situation poses a serious environmental risk.

Dr. Chanan explained that most households rely on septic systems for waste disposal.

He noted that there are no regulations in place, and WAF's wastewater treatment plants are not designed to handle septic sludge.

Despite this, the authority has been receiving septic waste due to the lack of alternatives.

To address these issues, Dr. Chanan mentioned that an investment of $8.5 billion is needed to improve services.

Out of this amount, $5 billion is specifically allocated for wastewater improvements.

He adds that the Kinoya wastewater treatment plant upgrade will allow it to accept septic sludge.

Additionally, WAF is working on upgrading the Lautoka treatment plant in the West to also handle septic sludge, as it was not previously designed for this purpose.

Dr. Chanan stressed that it’s time to take action on this urgent problem.