The incident was traced to a pump failure at the Robertson Pump Station. [PICTURE:SUPPLIED]
The Water Authority of Fiji has restored normal wastewater operations following an overflow incident along Cumming Street, Suva, this morning.
WAF says its response teams attended the site immediately after the wastewater overflow was reported and carried out repairs, followed by disinfection and cleaning of the affected footpath and surrounding areas.
The incident was traced to a pump failure at the Robertson Pump Station, which receives and transfers wastewater from the surrounding catchment.
According to WAF, the failure occurred after the pump control float switches became entangled with a large amount of foreign material that had entered the wastewater network.
The materials included plastic bags, rags, wet wipes, clothing and other non-flushable items that were improperly disposed of.
WAF says although the pump station has screening systems designed to capture such waste before it reaches the pumps, the volume of foreign materials in this instance exceeded the screening capacity, affecting the pump control mechanisms and causing a temporary failure of the system.
The Authority is again urging members of the public to dispose of waste responsibly, reminding customers that the wastewater network is designed only for wastewater and human waste.
Items such as wet wipes, diapers, sanitary products, rags, clothing, plastics, paper towels, cooking oils and other solid waste should not be flushed or disposed of through the sewer system.
WAF says improper disposal of these materials remains one of the leading causes of wastewater blockages, pump failures, manhole overflows and damage to critical infrastructure.
It adds that such incidents pose public health and environmental risks, while also diverting resources away from essential maintenance, service improvements and infrastructure development.
WAF has thanked the public for their patience and cooperation as it continues efforts to maintain reliable wastewater services and protect the environment.
