The Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) has dismissed rumors circulating on social media about the presence of a dead cattle at the Balevuto Dam.
Concerns were raised about potential water supply contamination affecting the community served by the Balevuto Water Supply Scheme.
WAF Chief Operating Officer, Seru Soderberg, stated that officials from WAF’s Operations and Water Quality Laboratory were immediately dispatched to investigate the claims and conduct water sampling tests.
“The findings from the Balevuto water supply system testing carried out complied with the Fiji National Drinking Water Quality Standards. There were no dead cattle or anything unusual present at the dam site,” said Soderberg.
He further clarified that the water samples were analyzed for microbiological contamination, and the results showed no presence of total and fecal coliforms in the treated water from the scheme.
Additional verifications were carried out by inspecting the entire catchment tributary streams and desilting works at the dam, which confirmed that there were no carcasses present.
To ensure consistent water quality and put an end to the rumors about water contamination, WAF carried out extensive flushing on its reticulation and cleaned the reservoir serving the Balevuto scheme.
Additional samples were taken and are currently being tested for compliance.
“Our team also surveyed the dam catchment to check for any potential contamination sources. However, no source of contamination was identified during this exercise,” Soderberg added.
As the raw water quality in the catchment can change with weather and catchment events, WAF is investigating if there are any other possible sources of contamination.
They are working closely with the Ministry of Health to validate water sampling test results and ensure public health remains a top priority.
Additional testing within the Balevuto System is being carried out by both teams.
