A powerpoint depicting the current state of Barotu Village and ways to improve the water and sanitation crisis.

1. Water and Sanitation
Statistics
6.9 million in the Pacific Island countries without
access to improved sanitation
• i.e. toilet shared with 2 or more households
• No flushing into pit, septic tank, sewer
• No privacy or safety
Waste water disposal channel which runs
through Barotu Village

2. A toilet in Barotu Village, Fiji compared to a toilet in
Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Campus.

3. Water and Sanitation Statistics
4.8 million without access to improved water supplies
• Must travel more than 30 minutes for water
• Not treated
• Prone to contamination

4. Water and Sanitation in the
Fiji Islands
Presented by Ruoqing Zhao
Supervised by Dr Jay Rajapakse

5. Aim
To identify and propose improvements to the water and sanitation
issues in Barotu Village, Fiji through a desk study, aid from members of
the Fiji National University Civil Engineering Department, and a site visit
later in the year.

6. Barotu Village
Facts
• Rural Village on western side of
Viti Levu Island, Fiji
• Population 200, 10 clans, 1 water
tank per clan
• Months of drought
• Wet seasons causing floods
• Affected by cyclone Winston 2
years ago
One of Barotu’s ten water tanks, leaking water can be seen on the
bottom as well as rusting wires

7. Research
Questions
1. Can optimising existing water
storage facilities aid in water
conservation?
2. How can future water storage
facilities be optimised to conserve
water?
A pipeline running through Barotu Village is loosely supported by tree
branches and twigs

8. Research Questions
3. Will raised awareness and introduction of mandates and
conservation measures during drought and wet seasons help with the
water shortage problem?
4. Will monthly rainfall data and other prediction methods help
villagers prepare for oncoming droughts/wet seasons?

9. Research
Questions
5. Can introduction of other methods
(such as a fabricated biosand filters)
help individual villagers in obtaining
useable water from other sources
that are usually neglected?
A river running at the end of Barotu Village can be a potential potable
water source

10. How to address the knowledge gap?
2 week site visit from 1st July – 13th July
• Perform surveys/questionnaires
• Where is water sourced? Tank? River? Other?
• Approx. how much water consumed per day
• Site Evaluation
• Where are tanks located? Capacity of tank?
• Location of other water sources? Distance to Village?
• Water Testing
• Parameters?
• Quality
• Raise Awareness
• Education

11. Contribution of Project
• Help villagers of Barotu
• Spread awareness
• Bring new information/ data into a previously
neglected topic
• Provide future researchers with valuable
information
A few dwellings in Barotu Village