At the end of the year, the Fiji Times reported a story that shows Mr. Inoke Nalewena and his granddaughter Ateca Ligatabua, having to carry water from the Wainibuka river in the Ra province to their house, mainly becuase they have had no water supply for 30+ years.
Whilst one could argue that if a famly lives for 30 years off the mainline water grid, then surely that shows that they are ‘doing it’ and ‘surviving’.
However, what this does not showcase is that water can effectively be ‘shut off’ if there is a drought, a flood (ironically), or ore more than usual pollutants entering into Mr. Nalewena’s water supply. Not only that but water has to be sterilised either by additing foul tasting chemicals, or by boiling the water.
It’s clear from the posting that the villages around the area have been asking for help from the Water Authority but if nothing has happened after 30 years, then it’s not likely that things are going to change in the immediate future. At the end of the day one cannot last without fresh water for more than 3 days so this is not something that should be entertained for another 30 years.
We think the solution for communities like those that Mr. Nawelana comes from is to not give up petitioning the Water Authority, but also to start thinking about how to not be totally dependent on the main authorities. DIY projects to collect and store water locally; ways of managing how to purify the water without costing too much money, or having to burn too much fuel to boil water; and using water sensibly.