ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK · 2014. 9. 29. · examination used the findings of recent studies of ecological features and surface water quality in the Suva-Nausori area, supplemented

ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

SUMMARY INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION

SUVA-NAUSORI WATER SUPPLY AND SEWERAGE PROJECT

IN THE

REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS

November 2003

ABBREVIATIONS

ADB – Asian Development Bank COEP – Code of Environmental Practice EIA – environmental impact assessment EMP – environmental management plan IEE – initial environmental examination NWQL – National Water Quality Laboratory O&M – operation and maintenance PWD – Public Works Department TA – technical assistance WSD – Water and Sewerage Department

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES km – kilometer m – meter mm – millimeter OC – degree Celsius

CONTENTS

Page

MAP ii

I. INTRODUCTION 1

II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 1

III. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 3

A. Topography and Geology 3

B. Climate 3

C. Human and Economic Development 4

D. Ecological Resources 4

E. Marine Water Pollution 4

F. Sites of National Significance 5

IV. FORECASTING OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 5

A. Principal Issues 5

B. Issues Relating to Project Design 8

C. Issues Associated with Construction 8

D. Issues Related to Operation and Maintenance 9

V. INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAM 10

A. General 10

B. In-House Capacity 11

C. Water Quality Monitoring Program 12

VI. PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND DISCLOSURE 12

VII. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 12

A. Findings 12

B. Recommendations 13

VIII. CONCLUSIONS 14

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I. INTRODUCTION

1. This summary initial environmental examination summarizes the findings of an initial environmental examination (IEE) that has been carried out during the preparation of the proposed Suva-Nausori Water Supply and Sewerage Project (the Project). The Asian Development Bank (ADB) assisted the preparation of the Project through a technical assistance (TA) grant.1 The Project is to address priority needs for water supply and sewerage improvements in the Suva-Nausori area of Viti Levu, which is the Fiji islands’ largest island. The Project has been classified as environment category B under the Environmental Assessment Requirements and Environmental Review Procedures of the Asian Development Bank. 2. The TA was implemented in two phases between March 1999 and March 2000. During the first phase, which was completed in August 1999, master plans for the development of water supply and sewerage services were prepared and agreed with the Government. The Project was formulated during the second phase of the TA, during which a feasibility study was carried out. A tripartite review of the findings of the feasibility study was held between the Government, the TA consultants, and ADB in November 1999. 3. Environmental issues, including identification of potential impacts, monitoring, and mitigation measures were considered during both phases of TA implementation. An environmental examination was a key component of the feasibility study.2 The environmental examination used the findings of recent studies of ecological features and surface water quality in the Suva-Nausori area, supplemented by inspections. As part of the feasibility study for the water supply components of the Project, surface water was sampled in order to calibrate a mathematical model of the extent of sea water intrusion into the estuary of the Rewa River, to the north of Suva City.

II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

4. The Greater Suva urban area includes Suva City and the nearby towns and per-urban areas of Nausori and Lami in an urban continuum. The population is currently 248,000. Rapid population growth and the associated commercial and industrial development have placed a strain on water and sanitation services. Development plans indicate that the Suva-Nausori corridor will continue to be a major growth area for the foreseeable future.3 5. The Suva urban area is served by a common water supply system, but Suva, Nausori, and the Lami industrial area have independent sewerage collection and treatment systems. In 1998 and the early months of 1999, Suva suffered from severe water supply disruptions—intermittent supply and low pressures—which affected about 70 % of Suva’s residents. 6. Sewage disposal in Suva-Nausori is a major problem and health risk. Less than 45% Suva’s urban population is connected to piped sewerage systems. Septic tanks and pit latrines serve the remainder. Industrial discharges of wastewater to waterways and sewage overflows

1 ADB.1998. Suva-Nausori Water Supply and Sewerage Project. Manila. 2 ADB. 1998. Suva – Nausori Water Supply and Sewerage Project. Final Feasibility Study, Vol. 1 Chapter 7,

Environmental Analysis, and Vol. 2, Appendix G3, Initial Environmental Examination. Hardcopies and electronic copies are available on request from ADB’s South Pacific Regional Mission.

3 Suva’s average growth rate between 1986 and 1996 was 1.6% annually, but the peri-urban areas of Suva and Nausori grew by 3.24% and 5.74% respectively. In-migration statistics indicate that the annual growth rate was probably around 3% between 1991 and 1996. The population of the Project area is expected to increase from 248,000 in 2000, to 371,000 in 2019.

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and exfiltration from the failing sewerage systems are major contributors to the aquatic pollution. Inflow and infiltration is a major problem with some parts of the system reportedly approaching 90% inflow and infiltration. Overflows, which are caused by inoperative sewage pumps and by blocked and broken sewer pipes, discharge untreated sewage into numerous waterways and bays around Suva. This is a threat to public health, because these sites are in populated localities and are used for fishing and shellfish collection. Inflows to the sewerage system disrupt the treatment process due to high hydraulic loadings and increased salinity during periods where the inflow and infiltration is associated with groundwater flows in tidally influenced areas. 7. The overall objectives of the Project are to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of urban water supply services, through institutional and policy reform, and through the physical improvement of assets in the Suva-Nausori area. The scope of the Project’s physical works and key related management measures includes

(i) water supply works:

(a) construction of a new water supply intake and pumping station; (b) increasing the yield from an existing water supply intake.; (c) augmentation of the capacity, and rehabilitation and replacement of

mechanical equipment at existing water treatment plants; (d) augmentation of water distribution pipelines, reservoirs, and pumping

stations; (e) installation of a supervisory control and data acquisition system; (f) leakage detection and water meter management programs; (g) reconstruction of an existing pumping station, rehabilitation of existing

service reservoirs, and rehabilitation and replacement of pipelines and meters to complement the water loss control program.

(ii) sewerage works:

(a) rehabilitation and upgrading of sewerage collection networks, including rehabilitation works identified by the inflow and infiltration study; comprising rehabilitation and replacement of about 8 kilometers (km) of trunk mains, gravity mains, rising mains, and pump stations;

(b) improvement of the Kinoya sewage treatment plant, including inlet works, odor control and sludge treatment, dewatering, and disposal systems:

(c) construction of about 15 km of new trunk sewer mains, collectors, and reticulation, with related pumping stations; and installation of about 6,300 new sewerage connections in backlog areas and in presently unserved areas;

(d) design and implementation of a trade wastewater program; (e) upgrading of maintenance facilities and the national water quality

laboratory at Kinoya; (f) development and implementation of improved management systems,

including mapping and geographic information systems, monitoring of receiving water quality, and infiltration assessment and related design

8. The Project will include a community education and awareness program, and a component for the development of trade waste policies and procedures. The Ministry of Works and Energy will be the Executing Agency, and the Ministry’s Water and Sewerage Department

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(WSD) will implement the Project. WSD will become a Government statutory authority during the project implementation period. Provision is being made for creation of an environmental section within WSD.

III. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT

A. Topography and Geology

9. Suva City occupies a peninsula of rolling hills projecting into the Pacific Ocean on the southeast coast of Viti Levu, with Walu Bay and Suva Harbor on the west and Laucala Bay on the east. Suva City’s terrain is hilly and undulating. The urban area extends northeast from Suva, merging with the town of Nausori, which is located on flat land about 17 km from the city. The industrial area of Lami Town lies on a narrow coastal plain about 5 km to the west of Suva, at the head of Suva Harbor. 10. To the north and west of Suva are steep, rugged hills of volcanic origin, with peaks reaching over 400 meters (m) in elevation, which form a barrier to urban development. At elevations below 250 m, away from the steeper hills, is a wide area of undulating land composed of uplifted marine deposits. The formations have been eroded by high rainfall into deep valleys, and many small creeks and cliffs of marl (locally known as “soapstone”) characterize the landform. The soil cover is thin, as a result of poor husbandry and heavy rainfall. 11. Between Suva City and Nausori, the delta of the Rewa River and its adjacent river terraces are composed of alluvial deposits and form the major area of flat land in the Project area. Most of this area is less than 2 m above high tide level. The Rewa Delta is occupied by numerous villages and settlements. 12. The northern and eastern portions of the project area drain toward the Rewa River and its tributaries, and much of this area, and the Rewa Delta, is prone to flooding. Suva Peninsula and the Lami area are drained by a number of short streams. 13. The Fiji islands is in an earthquake zone. In September 1953, considerable damage was caused by an earthquake of strength 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale, which had its epicenter about 15 km southeast of Suva. The earthquake was followed by a tsunami, but the coral reefs of Suva’s coastline protected the urban area to great extent. The return period for such an earthquake has been estimated as 1 in 200 years. B. Climate

14. Suva has a humid oceanic climate characterized by a warmer wet season from November to April, and a cooler drier season from May to October. Temperatures vary from 12OC to 34OC, and the average relative humidity ranges from 73% to 92%. The dominant winds in the cooler season are the southeast trades that, although relatively dry, bring rain to the Suva area. Tropical cyclones, of hurricane force, can develop and cause severe damage during the warmer season. The average annual rainfall in Suva is 3,060 millimeters (mm), with average monthly rainfall varying from 150 mm in July to 384 mm in March.

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C. Human and Economic Development

15. Suva is the capital of the Fiji islands and is the seat of Government. It is the country’s main commercial and industrial center. The Greater Suva area is the home of 58% of the country’s urban population. Settlement extends along the coastal fringes west of Suva, within the Suva peninsula itself, northeastward to Nausori, and on both sides of the Rewa Delta. Availability of land, steep topography, and access to infrastructure such as roads and water supplies form the principal constraints to development. Settlement is by way of urban villages, informal and squatter settlements, privately developed and publicly developed housing areas, and high-density housing estates. D. Ecological Resources

16. The original vegetation of the Suva-Nausori area is tropical rainforest. However, this has long been removed from all areas close to the conurbation except for the Savura Catchment Reserve. The Colo-i-Suva Forest Park also retains some forest but it is essentially a mahogany plantation. Some forest cover remains north of urban area, close to the upper reaches of the Rewa River. This is an intensively logged area that is currently being converted to agriculture as the result of subdivision and leasing. Elsewhere on the urban fringes, secondary habitats— especially grassland—predominate, and most of these areas are used intermittently for gardening. 17. The Suva peninsula is bounded seaward by a coral reef, which encloses Suva Harbor and Laucala Bay. The reef is a diverse, well zoned barrier reef. Reef ecology remains in fairly good condition, despite its proximity to major sources of pollution. 18. Laucala Bay is a habitat of particular interest. Numerous rivers discharge into the bay, carrying nutrients, bacteria, and other contaminants from Suva. Mangroves border most of the east and north of the bay, and seagrass beds are found in shallow subtidal locations. Treated sewage from the Kinoya sewage treatment plant discharges to the bay through an 800-m long outfall pipeline and discharge remains within the bay. A European-Union-funded project will extend the outfall overall to take the discharge out beyond the ocean reef and deeper waters. 19. Suva Harbor is the location of Suva Port, one of the main commercial centers of the South Pacific. Two major industrial zones, and the city’s rubbish dump, are major sources of pollution that affect the harbor, over and above the effect of the discharge of sewage effluent. E. Marine Water Pollution

20. Suva Harbor and Suva urban streams have a serious pollution problem. Shoreline waters have a gray, turbid appearance, with visible signs of pollution by sewage overflows, oil spills, and litter. Previous studies have revealed4

(i) frequent high counts of coliform bacteria, indicating pollution by fecal material, with data from the National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) showing coliform levels in the hundreds to several thousands in the lower reaches of the Rewa and Laucala rivers and in the thousands to tens of thousands level in Laucala Bay;

4 Kinoya Wastewater Treatment Plant staff collated and supplied the Appraisal Mission with various data collected

ranging from 1980 to 2003, from which the indicative values have been sourced.

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(ii) high levels of nitrogen (2 mg/l) and phosphorous (0.27 mg/l) in Laucala Bay indicating sewage pollution and causing eutrophication that causes further environmental problems;

(iii) Frequent oil slicks (visual observations); (iv) Cadmium found in shellfish, albeit at less than critical levels; (v) Coverage of large tracts of shoreline with litter; and (vi) Residents interviewed by the mission living along one major stream complained of

upstream sewage dumping so severe that they can no longer use the stream for bathing or fishing.

21. Earlier studies have also shown a disturbing increase in the levels of phosphorus compounds in the waters of Laucala Bay, during 1981–1998. This may well be due to the discharge of partially treated sewage from the Kinoya sewage treatment plant, discharges 1% of the freshwater flow to Laucala Bay, 1% of the suspended solids load, 10% of the nitrogen load, and 38% of the phosphorus load. Phosphorus compounds are likely to be the limiting nutrient for algal growth, and increased levels of phosphorus may indicate a danger of algal blooms reaching nuisance levels. F. Sites of National Significance

22. Eight sites in the Project area listed in the Fiji Islands’ Preliminary Register of Sites of National Significance. They include forest habitats, bird habitats, marine habitats, a cave system, and Suva’s reef. The National Trust for Fiji manages the site of a historic ring ditch fort, on the eastern side of the Suva peninsula. No construction activities or physical works are immediately adjacent to these sites. 23. The Colo-i-Suva Forest Park, north of the city center, is used principally for recreational purposes. It is essentially a mahogany plantation with elements of rainforest. It has limited biodiversity value. A declared water catchment at Savura Creek has much greater biodiversity value. None of these sites will be adversely affected by the Project. 24. Five plant species endemic to the Fiji Islands have been recorded at Mount Korobaba, but this locality will not be affected by the Project. No other rare or threatened species are known to be confined to the project area. Four of the Fiji Islands’ threatened bird species, one reptile, and two species of bat are found in the Savura Creek catchment area, where they have some measure of protection.

IV. FORECASTING OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES

25. The Project comprises a large number of components, to be undertaken over a 5-year period in a wide variety of locations in the Suva-Nausori area. Principal issues, environmental issues due to location of project components, and issues related to the design, construction, and operation and maintenance Project components are summarized in the following sections. A. Principal Issues

1. Rewa River Water Source

26. Four alternative new water sources were considered during the development of the master plan. Three were run-of-the-river sources on the Baulevu stretch of the Rewa River, which is approximately mid-reach of the river, and one was an impoundment on the Sovi River.

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The Sovi River impoundment would have had very significant environmental implications, and was discounted on environmental and economic grounds. 27. The three site options for the location of the proposed Rewa River intake were assessed for

(i) reliability of the water source; (ii) stability of the river’s banks, for the construction of a pump house; (iii) the ability to locate electric power and control facilities above flood levels; (iv) the proximity of the sites to an existing water treatment plant at Waila; (v) access by road; and (vi) availability of land for the pump house and the pipeline that will connect the intake to

Waila; 28. The assessed yield of the Rewa River at Baulevu during periods of drought is 1,210 megaliters per day, and the projected demand in 2019 is 80 megaliters per day. The new intake might abstract approximately 7% of the river’s lowest flows. This is not considered to have any effect on the river’s ecology. The possibility of seawater intrusions at the potential intake sites was investigated by a mathematical model, which was calibrated from the results of a river water sampling program. The conclusion is that, under low flow conditions, there is minimal risk of saline intrusion. The salinity modeling was constrained by limited reliable data, particularly in the case of salinity data and certain water level data. Therefore sensitivity analysis was applied to the modeling effort. The modeling effort also noted modeled salinity levels would be affected by seal-level rises, consistent periods of very low flow, and lowering of the riverbed by dredging. Modeling results suggested that salinity levels would only exceed the accepted threshold level of 500 megaliters per day when sea level rise, low flows, and a drop in riverbed elevation occur simultaneously. 29. Freshwater mussels, known locally as kai, form an important fishery in the lower reaches of the Rewa River. The mussels and fish, which are plentiful in the river, are important to commercial and subsistence activities, with the mussels being the predominant commercial species. The mussels are a major source of livelihood for women, and collection skills are passed down from mothers and grandmothers.5 Women collect 50–96 kilograms of mussels daily.6 Protection of the mussel collecting grounds and traditional land ownership issues are the principal downstream effects that will require continued study during detailed design, community dialogue, and monitoring. 30. Despite considerable interest, the breeding biology of these mussels (Batissa violacea) is largely unknown. However, the mussels do not have a highly mobile larval phase that could be affected by water abstraction, because it thrives in constant free-flowing water. Certain elements of the biology of the mussels indicate that they are unlikely to be affected by abstraction of water at any of the sites on the Rewa. Important among these is the high tolerance to different water conditions and substrates. Mussels are currently collected along a 40-km stretch of the lower Rewa, with Baulevu being its midreach. This stretch encompasses considerable variation in flow, exposure to salinity, and in the nature of substrate.

5 The feasibility study completed under Suva-Nausori Water Supply and Sewerage provided a social impact

assessment of this and other project components. 6 ADB. Manila. Suva-Nausori Water Supply and Sewerage. Manila. Final Report

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31. Issues pertaining to the mussels are whether changes in flow will affect the population and the fishery, either through a reduction of water flow in the river, or through an induced increase in salinity. The former has been shown to be minimal, even during extreme drought periods, and the risk of the latter has been demonstrated to be extremely low. Mussels are clearly tolerant of some changes in salinity given their presence in the lower reaches of the Rewa River, where salinity changes occur on a regular basis. 32. The mussels are not likely to be in any way affected by the slight changes to the flow that are envisaged, and will tolerate minor irregular changes in salinity. The area also faces significant threats from lack of management and regulation in a changing economic environment, when cash requirements of traditional village fishers are increasing markedly.

2. Rising Main Route Selection

33. A 6.3-km rising main and a single balance tank are required between one of the optional intake sites and the existing Waila water treatment plant. Approximately 2.5 km of this pipeline will pass through forest habitat and have a 5–10 m right of way and access road. This forest, which is not considered to have sensitive species, has been heavily logged, is mostly subdivided for farming leases, and includes primarily customary land. Although certain small areas retain good forest structure and diversity, clearance for agriculture is ongoing and is the dominant mode of land use change for this area. The environmental impacts of pipeline construction would be minimal. The pipeline will have to cross the Waimanu River; this will be through a deep trench dug into the riverbed to protect the pipeline and minimize its environmental intrusion.

3. Water Treatment Plant Sludge and Backwash Water Disposal

34. The current practice at the existing Tamavua and Waila water treatment plants is to dispose of sludge combined with spent backwash water straight into a creek at the site boundary. At Tamavua, mixed sludge and backwash water finds its way quickly down to the Tamavua-Savura River which it enters at the approximate boundary of saltwater intrusion. 35. In the past at Waila, the mixed sludge and backwash water was discharged to a creek on the immediate northern boundary of the site. As a result of protests concerning this unmanaged disposal method (in 1998, landowners demonstrated at the Waila Treatment Plant) the sludge and backwash water is now disposed of onsite. To correct the situation, backwash water clarifiers and belt presses will be constructed at both Tamavua and Waila treatment plants. Filtrate from the Waila belt press will be discharged into a sewer, while filtrate from the Tamavua belt press will be dried on-site. The dried sludge will then be disposed of at the new sanitary landfill. 36. In addition, the deposit of accumulated sludge at the boundary of the Waila treatment plant must be chemically characterized and, if required, rehabilitated. Copper (from the constant use of copper sulfate in the treatment process) and aluminum (from the alum flocculent could accumulate). Copper is an important potential contaminant in the wetland habitats around the sludge deposit.

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4. Sewage Treatment Capacity

37. The existing Kinoya sewage treatment plant partially treats wastewater has a total capacity to handle 150,000 equivalent population.7 This capacity includes the completion of expansion projects studied under the master plan and a previous feasibility study for the Project that have since been completed by Government through other funding sources. The Project now includes only needed and master-plan envisaged improvements to these facilities, including improved inlet works, provision of sludge treatment facilities, and odor control. 38. Degradation of Laucala Bay receiving waters from the existing outfall remains a critical issue, governed by the design of the existing outfall and associated operating standards of the treatment plant. The elevated level of phosphorus compounds in Laucala Bay is a significant long-term issue; current data are inadequate to confirm trends. This can only be addressed by a rigorous medium- to long-term monitoring program. 39. Upgrading and augmenting the Kinoya sewage treatment plant without an efficient marine outfall is not an acceptable environmental solution to the current problems. There must be linkage between the Project and installation of an efficient outfall pipeline. An extension of the marine outfall pipeline to a total length of 1,500 m, to provide greater dilution and dispersion of treated sewage, is being financed by the European Union under a separate project. B. Issues Relating to Project Design

1. Water Supply

40. There are no emerging issues relating to design options in the water supply activities. These are effectively predetermined for rehabilitation, repair, and augmentation components of the Project. Issues associated with the Rewa River water source have been discussed (paras 26-32)

2. Sewage Treatment

41. Appropriate water quality standards for coastal waters are recommended in the master plans. The design and efficient management of the Kinoya sewage treatment plant, together with the proposed new marine outfall, are critical to ensure that the quality of the ecological environment of the Laucala Bay receiving waters is maintained at an acceptable level. The design of extensions to the Kinoya sewage treatment plant, to cater for a total of 240,000 equivalent population through biological treatment processes,8 has been based on this requirement. C. Issues Associated with Construction

42. Significant potential construction impacts include

(i) increased levels of suspended sediment in run-off; (ii) slope instability resulting from excavation on slopes;

7 The equivalent number of people served by a sewage treatment plant. This is equal to the actual number of people

served, together with an allowance for the quantity of industrial effluent that is discharged to the sewage treatment plant.

8 The process that will be adopted is a variant of the activated sludge process, known as a sequencing batch reactor. This process can remove substantial amounts of phosphorus from sewage.

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(iii) noise, dust, and vibration from construction activities affecting neighboring residents; (iv) dust generated from traffic on site; (v) contamination of surface water from sewage effluent and other contaminants such as

paint and oil; (vi) contamination of ground from the disposal of liquid wastes such as oil; and (vii) disruption of traffic flow.

43. To minimize the potential impacts, the following mitigation measures will be undertaken:

(i) establishment of diversion drains around construction areas, (ii) installation of sediment traps, (iii) revegetation of bare surfaces, (iv) confinement of construction activities to normal working hours (7:00-2:00), (v) use of a water cart on site to suppress dust, (vi) establishment of temporary sewage collection or treatment prior to the

commencement of construction, (vii) the preparation of rules and procedures for disposal of wastes on site, and (viii) the control of traffic by the use of signs, and traffic control staff at peak times.

D. Issues Related to Operation and Maintenance

1. General

44. The environmental issues during operation and maintenance (O&M) relate principally to

(i) performance, i.e. efficiency of water supply and especially sewage reticulation, collection, pumping, and treatment; and,

(ii) occupational health of and safety hazards to workers. 45. Occupational health and safety legislation provisions will be incorporated into working practices, because sewerage workers are routinely exposed to serious communicable diseases, dangerous sewage gases, hazardous chemicals (chlorine gas), and electrical equipment and wiring in a wet environment. The public, too, may be exposed to open wells and live electricity boards. 46. Performance can be gauged through effective monitoring of O&M which will become a component of management practice. A sound environmental monitoring program is an important component of this and it will cover

(i) Water quality as supplied, (ii) Treated effluents and sludges, and (iii) Water quality of the receiving waters,

2. Water Treatment

47. The current use of copper sulfate to minimize algae growth will be phased out, and replaced with more environmentally sound solutions (provision of shade, and use of algae-discouraging epoxy paints).

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3. Disposal of Sewage Sludge

48. The Kinoya sewage treatment plant will likely generate approximately 20,000 cubic meters per year of sludge in the longer term. A sludge management strategy has been drawn up, which recommends storage in windrows on a prepared pad, storage for 18 months to kill pathogens, and then sale as agricultural fertilizer. Alternatively, the recent completion of a sanitary landfill will allow safe disposal, possibly also providing benefits as alternative cover material. 49. Issues of concern are

(i) odor —the Kinoya site is in a built-up area and odor is already a problem, and (ii) build up of toxic metals and organic chemicals.

50. Odor control has been included in the Project. In addition, complaints from neighboring residents will be recorded, and monthly monitoring of sludge will be undertaken. Sludge will be tested for toxic and hazardous constituents. It is envisaged that waste amounts will remain within acceptable levels for disposal at the new sanitary landfill.

4. Response to Sewage Overflows

51. Sewage overflows resulting from pump breakdowns, blockages, and leaks are a very common occurrence in the Suva-Nausori urban area at the present time. Currently, response is quite inadequate in comparison with the attention paid to water shortages. During the preparation of the master plan, 334 overflow complaints were documented during 3 months, February–April 1999. Improved responsiveness to customer complaints and customer relations programs will be implemented in addition to physical and technical O&M improvements.

V. INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAM

A. General

52. Environmental legislation and control in the Fiji Islands are in their infancy. There is no national water quality policy or management strategy, and no water or land resource management legislation. There is no national environmental impact assessment (EIA) or management legislation. In some instances, sectoral legislation incorporates environmental management components, and the development of in-house or corporate environmental management strategies and codes of environmental practice is becoming increasingly common. 53. Currently, EIAs are called for through the Town and Country Planning Act 1946, as amended, which is the Fiji Islands’ principal statute governing town planning. The act provides for the development of land, buildings, and other operations and for any material change in the use of land and buildings. The director of town and country Planning, and local authorities, have extensive responsibilities and discretion in the application of conditions for building approval. Where environmental issues are concerned, the director generally calls for advice from the Department of the Environment, but he is not legally bound to do so. It is rare for Government project to undergo formal EIA, although there are precedents. The Department of Environment does not have a routine environmental monitoring program of any kind, including water quality monitoring.

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54. Currently before Parliament is the Sustainable Development Bill, which will

(i) institutionalize the role of the Department of the Environment as the lead agency for environmental policy and regulation;

(ii) introduce a formal EIA procedure; and (iii) provide for codes of environmental practice (COEPs) to be drawn up by designated

commercial, development, or other agencies. 55. A Public Health and Pollution Control Bill is currently being developed. This bill has substantial environmental management provisions including those related to (i) solid wastes; (ii) hazardous, infectious, and industrial wastes; (iii) wastewater management (sewers, drains, sanitary conveniences, stormwater); (iv) environmental quality standards; (v) protection of drinking water; and (vi) water, air, and land discharge control systems. The bill includes provisions for enforcement and penalties, with health inspectors responsible for monitoring activities. 56. The Public Works Department (PWD) has adopted a suite of in-house standards for water treatment and for effluent disposal. These are well-founded and are useful as an interim measure. However, there is little or no incentive to achieve compliance. Also, at present, PWD does not have the capacity to supervise its contractors’ compliance with environmental requirements. B. In-House Capacity

57. The capacity of PWD/WSD to operate in an environmentally sound manner, which is both transparent and accountable, will be improved under the Project. Three components will address this issue:

(i) introduction of an appropriate environmental policy and implementation framework, through the promulgation of WSD’s own COEP;

(ii) establishment of an environment section within WSD; and (iii) upgrading of NLWQ, through the provision of equipment, transport, and trained staff.

58. Under the Project, WSD will prepare itself for the introduction of the Sustainable Development Bill by establishing an internal environment section, which will draw up a COEP for all WSD’s environmental responsibilities. The COEP will be consistent with relevant international standards (the International Standards Organisation, ISO 14000 series). The following elements will be included:

(i) an environmental policy; (ii) a register of environmental aspects and a procedure to keep it up-to-date; (iii) assessment of the impacts of WSD’s activities; (iv) identification of priority issues, and development of an environmental management

plan setting out specific objectives and targets for environmental management; (v) development of environmental management procedures that are fully integrated with

normal operating and management procedures; (vi) definition of responsibilities; and (vii) reporting, training, management review and community consultation procedures.

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C. Water Quality Monitoring Program

59. A water quality monitoring program, related mainly to the chemical and microbiological quality of water supplies, is maintained by NWQL, which is managed by WSD. NWQL will be upgraded under the Project, and the following additions will be made to the monitoring program:

(i) regular, quarterly monitoring of water treatment plant sludge and backwash water, until they are disposed of into sewers;

(ii) regular, quarterly monitoring of sewage sludge from the Kinoya and Nausori sewage treatment plants;

(iii) monitoring for pesticides, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium on a low-frequency but regular basis;

(iv) a credible “non-compliance procedure” or “event reaction procedure” will be incorporated in the COEP;

(v) a credible quality assurance program, involving independent third-party review or collaboration will be introduced;

(vi) water quality monitoring will be undertaken early in the project to establish solid baseline data with specific attention to project-affected areas, i.e. urban streams near failing sewers and pump stations and near the Kinoya wastewater treatment plant outfall, and provide monitoring of project benefits; the monitoring program should be designed to be an integral part of the water and sewerage utilities and Ministry of Health or Department of Environment monitoring program; and

(vii) water quality and effluent will be made available to the Department of the Environment, and in an appropriate form and manner to the general public.

VI. PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND DISCLOSURE

60. Public consultations during the feasibility assessment focused on the issues of land availability and social impact assessment for the various project components. In particular, the feasibility study team met with village headmen and with a group of women fisherfolk. Consultation with the affected communities and fisherfolk will be an ongoing process under the Project.

VII. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A. Findings

61. The findings of the IEE of the proposed Project are as follows:

(i) The current water supply system provides adequate to good quality water. However, the system is failing to provide consistent supply to many parts of the network and is not keeping up with the demand for new connections.

(ii) A new raw water source is needed and the Rewa water intake is the most suitable location based on the feasibility study, but additional modelling and environmental assessment should be undertaken during detailed design to confirm safe yields and identify most appropriate environmental controls as well as continue public consultations.

(iii) The sewerage infrastructure is in such a poor state of repair that there is a serious and increasing public health risk from wide-scale leakage of raw and partly treated sewage.

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(iv) Continued and increasing levels of sewage containing high levels of nutrients and industrial contaminants are leaked to creeks, waterways, and the inshore environment, with serious impacts on the aquatic ecology.

(v) The Project could have a major beneficial impact in reducing public health hazards and improving the aquatic biology of creeks and the inshore environment.

(vi) Water quality monitoring must be undertaken early in the project to establish solid baseline data with specific attention to project-affected areas, i.e. urban streams near failing sewers and pump stations and near the Kinoya wastewater treatment plant outfall, and provide monitoring of project benefits. The monitoring program should be designed to be an integral part of the water and sewerage utilities and Ministry of Health or Department of the Environment monitoring program.

(vii) WSD’s current environmental management capability is inadequate in respect of the public health and environmental responsibilities inherent in its mandate.

(viii) Environmental controls during both construction and operation of the river water intake will be important to protecting the mussel grounds and the communities that depend on them.

B. Recommendations

62. The following recommendations will be implemented

(i) In line with its environmental management approach, and with the draft Sustainable Development Bill, WSD will draw up a COEP, based on the ISO 14000 series, to cover all its environmental responsibilities.

(ii) An environmental management plan (EMP) for the entire project will be prepared during detailed design. The EMP will include a public consultation program. EMP will be a specific and performance-evaluation element of all civil works contracts.

(iii) A detailed EIA will also be undertaken, with particular attention to the Rewa water intake to support the development of the EMP, confirm preliminary designs, and identify the most appropriate environmental controls as well as continue public consultations. Loan disbursements for the Rewa water intake component will not be made until an EIA satisfactory to the Government and ADB has been completed.

(iv) The Project will provide a technical specialist to assist WSD to draw up the COEP, establish a functioning environment unit, and provide training to its staff.

(v) Consultants engaged under the Project will be required to prepare an EMP acceptable to the Department of the Environment for the construction of the Rewa River pump station and its rising main.

(vi) Adequate residual flow for aquatic ecology needs to be left in the Waimanu and Rewa River during very low flows. A policy for the amount of residual flows will be a component of the COEP. To ensure that adequate flows can be left, the system will have the capacity to transfer off-take to or from the various sources during very low flows in the rivers.

(vii) The current use of copper sulfate during water treatment to minimize algae growth, will be phased out as soon as possible.

(viii) The sludge deposition site at the Waila water treatment plant will be chemically characterized, and rehabilitated if it is contaminated.

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(ix) Effluent (backwash water) from the Waila water treatment plant will be diverted to sewers.

(x) The improvements to the Kinoya sewage treatment plant will be linked to the installation of an efficient marine outfall funded by the European Union.

(xi) WSD will upgrade its ability to respond to sewage overflows. (xii) A rigorous ongoing monitoring program will be implemented for Laucala Bay

receiving waters and will include Suva Harbour and Walu Bay. (xiii) NWQL will be upgraded and several changes will be made to the NWQL

monitoring program. (xiv) Sludge disposal will be a component of WSD’s COEP, and the sludge will be

analyzed on at least a monthly basis. Odor complaints from the plant’s neighbors will be recorded and, if excessive, the disposal strategy will be reviewed.

(xv) The Sewerage Act will be amended, to ensure connection by industry and house owners to sewer lines when they are put in place.

(xvi) The sustainable development and public health and pollution control bills will be finalized ad submitted to Parliament.

VIII. CONCLUSIONS

63. The Project will have a positive benefit to the environment through (i) substantial reduction of sewage entering the groundwater, streams, and sea due from inadequately treated effluent; (ii) substantial reduction of sewage pump station failures and consequent overflows, which often seriously affect low-lying communities near coastal waters; and (iii) provision of sludge treatment facilities at the two project water treatment plants, which previously discharged their backwash sludge to nearby streams. Altogether, these improvements will help to alleviate serious pollution of streams, drains, and coastal waters in the project area. Improvements in coastal water quality are closely linked to the extension of the sewage outfall that is being funded by the European Union. 64. Sustainable improvements in stream, ground, and marine water quality will be supported through project works and assurances for the enactment of key environmental legislation, including the sustainable development and the public health and pollution control bills, or other legal measures that will help clarify and strengthen the basis for regulation and control of waste discharges. The strengthening of PWD’s water quality laboratory and improvement of PWD’s environmental guidelines will help ensure the monitoring of project impacts and benefits, and the sustainability of the Project’s water quality benefits. 65. The Project will upgrade WSD’s environmental management capacity, and will establish a sound operating policy and implementation framework through a COEP. 66. The IEE and Summary IEE have been thoroughly carried out, the category B determination confirmed, environmental issues identified, and mitigation strategies included in the Project. An ADB EIA need not be carried out. An environmental assessment should be carried out by PWD/WSD during detailed design to confirm preliminary design assumptions and its environmental conclusions and develop detailed design specific environmental controls.