An international effort is being made to solve water shortages in drought prone areas of Fiji's sugarcane belt on Viti Levu.
The Pacific Community with the European Union and the Fiji Mineral Resources Department have been trying to identify new groundwater sources at Malele in Tavua and Volivoli at Rakiraki.
Both these villages are not connected to the Water Authority network.
So far hydrogeological testing is being done to isolate sources of fresh underground water but more work is required before bores are drilled.
The Pacific Community's co-ordinator of Micro Projects, Martin Chong, said the communities have been suffering as a result of prolonged drought.
"These communities are currently having to cart water to their communities at great cost to the authorities. There's a good population there, a lot of farming, a lot of household needs as well for this water supply," he said.