The urban water supply and sewerage systems in Fiji’s capital of Suva had been reported as well developed in the 1970s and 1980s. However, system expansion had not kept pace with increasing demand, and system sustainability declined due to inadequate maintenance. Non-revenue water (NRW) increased from around 30% in the early 1990s to almost 60% by 2002. By 2003, water carting by truck had become the norm as compared to only during drought years prior to that. New water connections were suspended, and development was impeded. 1998 records showed only 9,200 active sewerage connections, while lot counts and wastewater treatment plant flow measurements indicated the true number to be double the figure due to unregistered connections to the reticulated sewerage network. Frequent sewage overflows posed a risk to public health and the environment.
In response to the government’s request to help address the situation, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved in December 2003 a $47 million loan for the Suva–Nausori Water Supply and Sewerage Project. The project sought to improve the living standards in the Suva–Nausori urban corridor where about a third of the country’s population lived. Its expected outcome was increased coverage and improved delivery of water supply and sewerage services. It had 2 components: civil works and transition of part of the Public Works Department (PWD) to an independent water and sewerage corporation. Its planned outputs were (i) increased supply, delivery, and reliability of potable water; (ii) reduced NRW; (iii) rehabilitated wastewater collection and treatment; (iv) recovery of degraded aquatic ecosystems; (v) strengthened institutions and legislative frameworks; and (vi) establishment of a commercial entity providing water and sewerage services.
The commercial entity, Water Authority of Fiji (WAF), commenced operations in January 2010 and assumed sole responsibility for water and reticulated sewer services in Fiji. System enhancements combined with a water loss reduction program to meet the increased demand due to population growth and industrial and commercial expansion. Unplanned water supply disruptions were reduced from more than 2,000 in 2005 to 5 in 2014. Work on NRW was continuing to bring it down from 35% in 2015 to below the project target of 30%.
Sewerage upgrades enabled an increased number of connections from 15,639 before 2005 to 29,627 in 2014. Sewer overflows decreased from over 1,200 in 2005 to 880 in 2014. The quality of receiving waters had improved markedly.
A separate project management unit for reform, operationalized by the project, enhanced customer care and accounting and financial, human resource, and management information systems of key sector agencies. Operational reform outputs such as new metering and automation and systems performance monitoring helped reduce water losses to less than 35%.
Delivery of nearly all the planned outputs, after a lengthy implementation period that was extended thrice from June 2009 to September 2013, enabled the project to achieve its outcome targets. Delayed implementation and cost overruns prompted a $ 23 million supplementary loan in 2009.
ADB’s Pacific Department rated the project successful. The Ministry of Water and Energy was the executing agency, and the PWD, the implementing agency.
