Fiji’s sanitation behind some African countries

The quality of water in Fiji is under scrutiny following surveys by international experts that show sanitation levels lagging behind countries on the African continent.

Rotary Pacific Water chairman Warwick Pleass says water, sanitation and hygiene experts from the US were shaking their heads in disbelief at some of the tests they did in Fiji a few weeks ago.

He said their tests showed that water quality in Fiji was actually worse than in Uganda.

According to a 2013 United Nations study referenced by Pleass, Pacific island countries were equally bad or worse for sanitation and water.

“It’s a scary statistic and not even close to achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) in the area of water even though the world has achieved it a couple of years in advance on average but we are not even close to achieving it,” he said.

“So we are dragging the world average down.”

In the context of the Pacific, he said, Fiji was far from achieving the MDGs for water and sanitation.

The Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) said they were investing millions of dollars to upgrade and improve water services to meet water quality standards.

“The authority is continuously working towards improving drinking water and sanitation coverage and quality improvements in the urban and rural sectors,” it said.

WAF said the expected water quality for all treated water in urban areas fell within the Fiji National Drinking Water Quality standards.

“The research study must be considered separately for rural and urban sectors to be more precise for Fiji stats.”

The Fiji Health Ministry said quality of water would always be an issue, especially in the rural areas of the country where treatment was not part of
the system.

“Please be reminded that only those systems within the WAF reticulated system are treated and these meet the national drinking water standards.

“Please remember that unless treated, water will always be termed as not safe for human consumption.”

The UNICEF report titled ‘A Snapshot of Water and Sanitation in the Pacific, 2013 Sub-regional Analysis and Update’, states sanitation coverage is at 87 per cent while water coverage was at 96 per cent in Fiji.

It said government had been putting together policies and regulations that still needed to be endorsed.

The ministry said Fiji has met the MDG and passed the 50 per cent mark for accessibility and safety as stated in the report.

In the report, it shows without counting Papua New Guinea, the Pacific is on track to meeting the MDGs.