Forty years of water woes for a group of villagers in Cakaudrove came to an end after 11 water tanks were installed in their community.

The residents of Vatukaroa Estate, who claimed they have been denied ‘safe’ drinking water for a long time, now enjoy clean drinking water through rain harvesting.

The project, which belonged to the Vatukaroa Women’s group, has started much to the delight of the villagers.

“We have been drinking from the same source with other animals because the source is unprotected,” said the women’s group executive Sainiana Thaggard.

“After our piping system was damaged years ago, the men decided to use a source closer to the village and that is how we have been drinking from all these years.

“This source only supplies water when it rains, but during the dry season we have to walk for at least 45 minutes to the next village to get water.”

Ms Thaggard said it was because of this that one of the settlers was diagnosed with leptospirosis some time ago.

“We are truly thankful to the Water Authority of Fiji and the Government for helping us have access to clean drinking water, something that we have been deprived with for so long.”

Ms Thaggard said there were about 60 villagers in Vatukaroa.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

Feedback:  josaia.ralago@fijisun.com.fj