Groundwater is used by a large number of people in the country - who obtain water from springs, hand-dug wells and boreholes.
And with the rate of expansion by bottled water companies in Fiji, the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources is currently in the process of developing a groundwater resource policy, says Permanent Secretary Lt Col Neumi Leweni.
The policy aims to strengthen the management and exploitation of groundwater resources and will be the first policy on groundwater resources. Considered as a valuable resource, pure water source free from contamination and stored in a natural reservoir, the policy will set the platform for proper management and preservation of this valuable resource.
Additionally, the Ministry is looking at the protection of these water sources by having protection zones given its vulnerability to over exploitation and damage.
Groundwater sources while renewable are finite and can be damaged by over exploitation and once damaged may take a long time to rehabilitate and in some cases irreparable. The Ministry has also urged village and communities to set up water communities for the management of groundwater and water resources.
Furthermore, communities need to be aware of the impacts of developments and changes to the environment on their groundwater sources and to take proactive measures to protect it at all cost.
The Ministry also reminds the public of the adage ‘You never miss the water until the well runs dry’ as a reminder not to take groundwater for granted. Last year the Ministry investigated 26 groundwater sources, in addition to the 17 groundwater boreholes drilled last year together with 6 boreholes drilled in the first quarter of this year.
Over 200 private bore-holes have been drilled in the Western Division for domestic and village water supplies, in addition to bore-holes used for supplying Ba and Korotogo.
Of the smaller islands, Rotuma is supplied with groundwater from bore-holes drilled in 1974 and recently successful bore-holes have been drilled on Lakeba and Vanuabalavu.