The Water Authority has installed air valves along the greater Suva and Nausori areas with the aim of improving its service to ensure a 24 hour water supply to residents.
Team Leader Corporate Communications Michelle Tevita Singh said the introduction of the Ventomat Air Valve which automatically expels unwanted air from the hydraulics system to ensure the smooth flow of water in the main lines.
Singh said one of the major challenges faced by their maintenance teams is attending to the never-ending breakages on the aging infrastructure, and fixing burst mains, in particular, is almost a daily occurrence for men in these teams.
She added burst water mains are usually caused by too much pressure in the pipes when there is too much air or water, and it takes a lot of time to manually expel air from the system.
She said the installation of the four Ventomat air valves along the Wainibuku Reservoir line and seven along Savura catchment line has resulted in the improved supply to customers who get their supply from these main lines.
Singh also revealed that manual valves will gradually be replaced by the Ventomat air valves in other metered areas soon.
Story by: Ana Naisoro
