Project History
In 2012, the Fijian Government issued new environmental policies concerning clean water and sanitation guidelines for rural villages. In addition, they issued limited
financial aid for rural villages needing funds for clean water and sanitation systems. However, to recieve this funding villagers are required to provide a Rural Water and Sanitation Plan. The villagers are not able to "write" plans to begin the process. The
Rotary Pacific Water for Life Foundation stepped in with the Ministry of Health, Rotary Clubs both in the United States and Fiji stepped in to assist the villages. The villagers along with the Rotary Pacific Water for Life Foundation will do the building
but the plans has to be provided first. Global Classrooms for Peace on behalf of the project solicited civil and envioremental engineers to volunteer to write the plans. This last summer the Ministry of The "building" will be done in October 2013 but the
plans need to be set this summer to get accurate budget approvals. This summer's project would provide the water and sanitation plans for 16 villages effecting 8000 people and dozens of schools.
The long-term strategy is to move this project into a 5 year plan taking as many as 10 groups of 15 or more a year afterwards. This program provides safe water
for remote Fijian villages and hands on field work for engineers.
Rural Fiji Water and Sanitation
The main items lacking in rural Fijian communities for sanitation are properly designed septic tanks (or any septic tank at all) and proper wastewater treatment
systems.
Most septic tanks in rural communities do not have proper plastering (water-proofing), and some don’t even have floors causing untreated wastewater to leak into
groundwater sources, which poses both public and environmental health risks.
Existing Water Supply System – The existing water sources used by some communities are a creek which originates from
a spring. The water is stored in one tank and then distributed to the village via a pipeline system. The water is highly turbid and the source frequently becomes clogged
during heavy rains. Furthermore, many of these tanks are open and are easily contaminated.
Existing Wastewater Disposal System – A majority of the septic tanks are leaking
and/or full. Most of the septic tanks have an outlet that disposes effluent either directly to the ground surface or to a soak pit. Some septic tanks have no outlet. There
are no pit toilets in the village, although there are some abandoned pit toilets.
Project Objectives
Water source projects will use engineering volunteers' knowledge and recommendations to aid project development. These baseline assessments will produce
the necessary technical information needed as the starting points for developing these plans and to assess the priorities for future projects.
Volunteers will assist village leaders in the development of a water and sanitation plan to meet new guidelines set forth by the Fijian Ministry of
Works and Ministry of Health. In addition, volunteers will be teaching villagers how to perform tests to detect bacteria in their drinking water using simple gel pack kits.
Our main goal: To improve the public and environmental health through proper wastewater treatment and disposal, and to provide knowledge about sanitation issues and training on proper sanitation construction, operation,
and maintenance.
