Allen Lockington is a self-employed customs agent and business consultant who has regular articles published in www.connectme.com.fj/news/opinion. I thank Allen and Connect for permission to reprint some of them in this political blog. They remind us that life goes on, whatever the political situation. And it's good to know that.
Water Issues
Most parts of Lautoka get water from around 5 to 9 am then it comes on again around 4 pm and is turned off again at 8 pm. In a day we get 8 hours of water. In a day we get only 8 hours of water. We store water for cooking, drinking, and sanitary purposes. Our home looks like a water bottling factory. If we have a family function we either request the water authority to bring a tank of water or just made do with what is available and the garden. Yuck.
Many people have said that with the new water authority things will get better. But where will they get the water from if there is no rain? And with the increase in city population resources will be affected. Not to mention the leaking old pipes
However, I hope the authority can adopt FEAs policy on billing. When a consumer vacates and moves to a new home and goes to get the meter registered in his name they should be asked to produce the bill for their last residence and any outstanding monies are transferred to the new account. Many times landlords or new tenants have their water meter cut because of outstanding bill incurred by former tenants. The new water authority doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel - FEA has a full proof method of collection.
I have one question – will the water problem be ever solved?
6 comments:
I can't help seeing the irony in Allen's water woes and those of other Lautoka residents when you see how much water is being loaded at the Lautoka wharf for export. I was astonished during a recent visit to see the number of semi-trailers arriving with containers packed with Fiji Water from Yaqara. Anyone who travels the Kings Highway north will have seen the same thing, waves after wave of Fiji Water trucks heading for Lautoka. I know it's a valuable export and I, for one, love drinking Fiji Water here in Australia. But there's something seriously wrong when Fiji residents have to go without water, as Allen's family does, while water -admittedly from a different source - flows out of the country in a constant stream. People are entitled to be angry and government needs to make this an urgent priority.
The answer is simple.
Install water tanks to collect rain water or die of thirst.
With the abundance of water in tropical Fiji, it is an absolute joke that people complain about the lack of water. If the town water supply cannot be relied upon, be resourceful and look at other options.
You guys have absolutely no idea of how tough people in drought affected areas are doing it.
I guess there will always be enough water to mix the grog even during the longest restrictions.
God helps those who help themselves.
Taki..
Okay: Let's help ourselves but if we do that, we will not be paying water bills and taxes. That is common sense and a rational response. No treated water supply -then we no water bills. Rain butts and water purification tablets? All houses and businesses in Fiji should receive tax credits for installatin of water tanks. All new homes should be obliged to include water tanks and roofs should be catchments: like Bermuda and many other places in the world.
The white roofs of Bermuda are a tourist attraction as are their policemen. But they have been so for over fifty years.
VII Generation
The problem with tank water without treatment is that it results in outbreaks of waterbourne
diarrhoea like the 200 people admited to CWN in the last two days. The health dept blames unboiled water.
@cama
If tankwater is believed to be impure them people should boil it.
Surely the 200 people who had diarrhoea know how to make fire.
The 1996 Census (see my "Fiji:an Encyclopaedic Atlas" showed that 60% of households had metered water supply(mainly urban Ba and the Suva area),21% had communal stands (mainly Fijian villages), 9% had wells (mainly in the Yasawas, West and North), 4% used rivers or creeks, and only 3% had roof tanks (mainly outer islands, esp. southern Lau). According to former PM Qarase May 2004, nearly one-half of Greater Suva's water supply was unaccountered for due to leaks. The West's problems are compounded by lower rainfall and a lowered water table due to heavy use by tourism and urban areas, and lack of reservoir storage capacity. The water tank suggestion has merit for supplementary non-drinking purposes, or well boiled before drinking.
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