The Good, the Bad and the Fiji Water Authority

Recently during one of my afternoon walkouts, I got the chance to witness the utter brutality of the Fiji Water Authority(FWA)  workers. The mere sight was enough to make anyone shiver and squeal for help. Unfortunately the particular water pipe being brutalized could not say a thing.

Brutality

A huge yellow excavator with front end loader, the colour in itself enough to give a terrorizing nightmare, with its excavator raised and ready to thrust its teeth into the ground, a supervisor getting off his Hilux van and directing his men like a general in the Spartan army and the men themselves – 8 of them with pick, shovels and steel bars thumping their weapon of choice deep into the ground with sweat dripping down the side of their face and falling to the ground producing a sound effect that would have outdone the sonic boom – imagine what the poor water pipe would have been going thru just because it had the audacity to leak.

Shocked!

Fear

The only correct account is of the leaking water pipe. Let me restart, The excavator with the driver busy smoking away in his thoughts, the supervisor chatting with someone – nothing to do with the leaking pipe – and the 8 men standing and chilling out. But hey, they did create the fear factor. And the suspense of what was going to be the fate of that water pipe would have been like a prolonged mental torture on the poor thing. I doubt it would ever contemplate leaking again. 

The FWA has employed this new strategy to counter leaking water pipes. Create so much fear in the heart of the smallest of the leaking pipes by attacking it with an army of workers, heavy machinery and god knows what. Although it would be a bit expensive, especially with the overtimes – even the excavator owned by private contractors are beneficiary to it but the good thing is that there wont be any water leaks. 

Rebels

Now unfortunately there are a few rebellious pipes which have immuned themselves to this fear factor and repeatedly burst. The FWA have recognised these rebellion pipes and often choose to leave it alone – I am sure it’s just a few hundred gallons of water going down the drain –no pun intended. Maybe this is in the hope that eventually the leaking pipes would learn its lesson and clog itself up. How it’s fixed, I will tell you later.

But alternatively thinking, no wonder we have so much water stoppages – I think it’s the water pipes themselves trying to minimise the probability of a leak. They refuse to carry any fluid in them.

Generosity

Now I would ask you to tread here very carefully and not stereotype the FWA as a brutal corporation riveting out punishment on the poor pipes. The FWA has a gentler and more generous side. 

Infact it was the reason a private company boasted of having 60 Hilux vans. Let me say it again incase there is any doubt on the figures – Sixty. These Hilux vans are used to carry the workers to various worksites. Now look at the generosity of the FWA. These vans mileage for those runs that have nothing to do with FWA official runs are smoothly passed on to the FWA account. Perhaps the supervisors at FWA are are just showing their appreciation towards this private company or perhaps they have recognised the ripple effect benefit to the country. 

Ripple Effect

Now look at the ripple effect benefit to our country. The vehicle dealers make money, the vehicle drivers gain employment, the fuel companies owe a tiny chunk of their revenue to them and so on and so forth. FWA is generosity personified. I mean after all, it’s just the lousy tax payers money and then there are so many of us. So what the heck.

Oh coming back to the fuel part, some of the privileged ones can actually buy fuel in 20 Litres pack at a very special price of $20 from the depots. Now that’s rubbing it on the face of the fuel companies who are charging us such an exorbitant rate. But there is so much secrecy about it. God knows for what reason and what these guys selling the fuel are trying to hide. It’s completely beyond my realm of rationality. 

War on Leaking Pipes

Now back to the workers and the bust pipes. If anyone has ever observed them, then they would realize how well trained these workers are in the art of water warfare. The first thing they do is secure the area – it’s for preparing the tea. And since division of labour is quite professionally practiced, one person is sent to fix a tent, another is sent to buy the bread and its fillet, while the rest surround the leaking water pipe trying their level best to scare the ruthless bastard off. The time factor is not an issue here. What’s more important is the protocol. The final aim is to repair the leakage. Despite many previous attempts, I don’t think any of these teams have managed to break into the no-overtime zone. But I know the competition is pretty stringent. After all they all have a dream of fixing a leak within 8 hours. But how do you win a turf battle against a rogue leaking water pipe.