Fiji Urban Water Supply and Wastewater Management Investment Program

• Improve access to sustainable water supply and sewerage services in the Greater Suva Area (GSA).
• Enhance resilience to climate change and ensure reliable service during droughts and extreme rainfall.
• Strengthen WAF’s institutional capacity, corporatization, and financial management for sustainable service delivery

The investment program has three outputs:
Output 1: Supply and access to safe water in the GSA improved. The investment will expand water supply by 40,000 m3 per day by constructing a new supply intake on the Rewa river with associated water treatment plant, pumping station, reservoir, and transmission main to connect to the existing system. Reliable and sustainable long term operations and maintenance practices will be enhanced through a Design-Build-Operate (DBO) contracting arrangement.
Output 2: Wastewater treatment (WWT) and management capacity in the GSA increased. The wastewater network will be rehabilitated and expanded by: (i) upgrading 31 existing wastewater pumping stations; (ii) upgrading about 18 km of wastewater trunk mains to increase carrying capacity; (iii) relining 13 km of wastewater trunk mains; and (iv) extending the wastewater network to service an additional 15% of households (approximately 4,500 existing lots in backlog areas) currently using septic tanks.
Output 3: WAF management and sustainable service delivery capacity improved. Program management and capacity development support will be provided.

• Categorized as Effective Gender Mainstreaming (EGM). Activities include: gender equity promotion in WAF business practices, conducting training for women in technical fields, and community consultations ensuring more women’s participation and representations.
• Commitment to Gender equality is an integral part of Fiji’s political landscape. The government has signed international conventions like CEDAW, passed legislations for women’s equality, set up a woman’s machinery to implement women friendly policies, identified issues like violence and lack of economic opportunities that prevent women from realizing their potential, developed gender sensitive policies, identified the issues that impact women negatively including violence, lack of economic opportunities, identified that women are at the lower end of labour activities and pay, few women in senior positions or at decision making levels and few opportunities for promotion. The government has also tried to encourage women in non traditional jobs.

1. Supply and access to safe water in the GSA improved
1.1 Design and build a new water intake in the Rewa River, an associated water treatment plant, a pumping station, and a reservoir to increase production by 40,000 m3 per day.
1.2 Implement a meter replacement program.
1.3 Implement a program to improve leak detection and repairs by the WAF.
1.4 Establish district metering areas and pressure management systems in GSA.
1.5 Improve customer databases and billing systems.
1.6 Implement upgrading works recommendations from asset condition assessment undertaken for all water pipes greater than 15 cm within the GSA.
2. Wastewater treatment and management capacity in the GSA increased
2.1 Increase wastewater treatment capacity of Kinoya WTP to about a 277,000 person equivalent rating by designing and building new treatment facilities—two primary sedimentation tanks and a new digester—and upgrading the dewatering plant.
2.2 Install technology to enable future beneficial re-use of methane gas for energy at the Kinoya WTP.
2.3 Upgrade 31 existing wastewater pumping stations to allow more flow to the treatment plant.
2.4 Replace 8 km of wastewater trunk mains and reline 13 km of wastewater trunk mains that are reaching the end of their asset life.
2.5 Design and build new wastewater infrastructure to service an additional 15% of the households in 4,500 lots in backlog areas and in new development areas (2,000 new lots).
3. WAF management and sustainable service delivery capacity improved
3.1 Develop and implement a water demand management program.
3.2 Train WAF personnel on leak detection and reduction of NRW.
3.3 Develop and implement a strategy for the WAF to monitor and enforce the national liquid trade waste program.
3.4 Carry out WAF’s corporatization activities, including transfer of assets, governance arrangements, improvement of financial sustainability, and the retention of revenue.
3.5 Develop water catchment management plans and water safety plans to protect the quantity and quality of the water at the intakes for all the water sources in the investment program area.
3.6 Review WAF financial management practices and policies and develop a strategy to address recommendations to improve the WAF’s financial reporting and management.
3.7 Promote gender equity in the WAF’s business practices by providing training and reviewing policies.

• Design Build Operate (DBO) contracting model - a new approach for Fiji’s water sector that integrates international best practice in construction, operation, and maintenance, ensuring long-term technical efficiency and skill transfer to Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) engineers.
• Advanced water technologies introduced:
- Leak detection systems, pressure management, and district metering areas (DMA) to reduce non-revenue water (NRW) losses.
- Real-time monitoring and control systems for water treatment and distribution efficiency.
• Climate-resilient infrastructure design: relocation of the Rewa River intake 49 km inland to avoid saltwater intrusion and sea-level rise, incorporating flood-resistant materials and designs.
• Wastewater innovations: rehabilitation and expansion of the Kinoya Wastewater Treatment Plant with energy-efficient systems, methane gas recovery, and sludge management improvements that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Knowledge and technology exchange between ADB, GCF, WAF, and international engineering contractors, supporting Fiji’s adoption of new water and sanitation technologies.

• Institutional Strengthening of WAF:
- Comprehensive training in project management, financial systems, and asset management.
- Support for corporatization of WAF to enhance autonomy, accountability, and governance.
- Development of a Water Safety Plan and Catchment Management Plan to ensure sustainable operations.
• Department of Environment (DOE) capacity development:
- Training and support for environmental monitoring, regulation, and enforcement of wastewater discharge and sludge disposal standards.
• Gender-responsive training and employment:
- The project is classified under Effective Gender Mainstreaming (EGM) — women participated in technical training, community awareness programs, and management positions within WAF.
- Workshops emphasized women’s leadership in water resource management and household sanitation awareness.
- Employment targets ensured inclusion of women in project-related technical and administrative roles.
• Community-level capacity:
- Public awareness campaigns on water conservation, hygiene, and climate adaptation practices targeting urban and peri-urban communities, including informal settlements.
• Sustainability and knowledge sharing:
- Long-term mentoring and on-the-job training provided by international consultants under the DBO arrangement to ensure technology transfer to local engineers and technicians.