Ready to flush - Fijian waste treatment system comes on line
Science Centres: Pacific Rim
The Wai Votua Project, which involved development and construction of a wastewater treatment system for Votua village in Fiji, has been completed. The project has been acclaimed as a model for successful community participation and engagement.
The people of Votua village in Fiji have been closely involved in the planning and construction of the upgraded water supply and wastewater treatment system for their village. The NIWA-led project focused on strengthening the capacity of the local community to understand the linkages between hygiene, proper water and waste management, and the health of their families and environmental resources. During the project a skilled team of local workers has been trained to construct, operate, and maintain their own water and wastewater infrastructure.
All 57 houses in the village have a greatly improved water supply and have been joined up to sewerage lines. Villagers now use house water, rather than contaminated water from the nearby creek, for bathing and household chores. Greywaters from kitchens, bathrooms and laundries are passed through coconut husk filters before being infiltrated into sandy soils, or treated in wetland gardens. Septic tanks have been installed along with pump stations and sewerage lines for toilet effluents, and a wetland treatment system now effectively treats these wastewaters.
Discharge of organic matter, suspended solids, nutrients and microbial contaminants are greatly reduced by the new treatment facilities, reducing human health risks and impacts on the environment. Treated effluent from the village is re-used instead to grow flowers and taro leaves, and its use in fish ponds is also being trialed. This creates opportunities for income generation as well as delivering health and environmental benefits.
Planting the wastewater treatment wetland. [Photo: Chris Tanner]
"This Project greatly enhances the environmental management work being undertaken by Votua to preserve and protect our marine resources," said Kini Ravonoloa, an Environmental Committee Representative from Votua. "We are truly thankful for the great assistance provided by New Zealand's Aid Programme and hope that other villages and coastal developments in Fiji will follow our lead and work to eliminate wastewater pollution."
The four-year project drew on the skills and expertise from NIWA, Environmental Science and Research, and ecoEng, the University of the South Pacific's Institute of Applied Science, and Reef Explorer Fiji Ltd.
The project was supported by MoRST and funded by New Zealand Aid Programme as part of the New Zealand Overseas Development Assistance Contestable Fund Programme.
Contact: Chris Tanner
