Protecting public health one water quality test at a time

Name 10 reasons why water plays a vital role in our lives.

Thinking on your feet, you would probabl y name drinking as one of the first, followed by a list of other reasons. Whether you knew about 10 or more, the fact that water plays crucial roles in our lives as well as those of plants and animals remains true. Sometimes, however, runoff, erosion, illegal dumping, and pollution degrade our islands’ water quality, making it unsafe to use. To protect public health and the environment, it is important to inform the CNMI communities about the quality of marine, drinking, and public waters through careful laboratory evaluation.

I am currently employed as a Coral Reef Initiative intern under the supervision of Clarissa T. Bearden at the Division of Environmental Quality’s Surveillance Laboratory. My department focuses on providing monitoring data to evaluate the quality of drinking and recreational waters of our islands. As an intern, I work closely with my instructor and seven other highly qualified colleagues to provide clear and accurate data about our waters. With concerns of protecting public health and our environment, the DEQ lab branch staff members and I follow strict protocols during testing and analysis.

One of my main tasks for the summer internship is to join some of my colleagues in collecting marine water samples and testing them at the laboratory. We collect samples from Saipan’s west beaches every week and from Managaha, Tinian, Rota, and the east beaches of Saipan in an alternating eight-week period. During these sample collections, we also test the waters for biological and chemical parameters with the YSI meter. These data help us monitor possible trends in the water quality of various sites.

Back at the lab, marine water from each site is diluted to 10 mL in a small bottle filled with distilled water. Enterolert, a yellow powder chemical, is then poured into the solution and shaken until it is all dissolved. The solution is then placed into a tray, sealed tight, and incubated for 24 hours. We can then detect and calculate the amount of enterococci using ultraviolet light, charts and computer programs. These procedures help us determine whether the beach site should be red-flagged or not. Once we have found our list of red-flagged beach sites, a press release signed by my instructor and the program director is faxed to the media.

In addition to monitoring beach sites regularly, I was assigned to work on a major project about the water quality violations at DPW’s Channel Bridge (West Beach 10) located at Lower Base, Saipan. On my first week on the job, the DEQ lab staff members conducted a preliminary sanitary survey to determine if traces of pollution contributed to increased water quality violations. A week later, DEQ lab technicians and CUC’s wastewater personnel poured five gallons of red tracer dye solution into the nearest SI wet well to see where the dye travels. On that same day, we found spots of red dye in a particular area of the wetlands. We observed that the dye stuck to white fungal matter sticking to exposed roots from mangrove trees. On June 30, with the assistance of CUC personnel, we poured gallons of red tracer dye into the SI wet well again and found traces of it in the same area in the wetlands. After digging holes around that area, we found the dye solution seeping through the soil along with methane gas. Our findings suggest that the contaminated substance must be seeping through the ground.

While the results of this project are still tentative, investigating sources of pollution and conducting experiments to reach definite answers have been exciting and enlightening. This project has opened my mind to new ways of protecting our environment.

While I have learned a great deal about monitoring marine water quality, I have also learned about conservation through CRI activities for interns. Every Tuesday, interns and instructors get together to discuss environmental topics from ocean acidification to a recent study on Laolao Bay’s waters. In some days, we participate in reef flat surveys where we count the number of algae in specific beach sites. At the end of our internships, we will present what we’ve learned from our departments, which gives each of us a chance to develop a well-rounded perspective of our island environment.

All these have made my experience as a CRI intern a fun, memorable one. Through this internship, I have sharpened my analytical and interpersonal skills and witnessed firsthand the inner workings of a laboratory fully certified by the Environmental Protection Agency. I have also taken a greater appreciation towards our environment and deem myself lucky to be a citizen of our beautiful islands. While I will be attending a university in the United States as a psychology and neuroscience major, I plan on joining environmental organizations and learn more about what I can do to help the CNMI. While it is my dream to return as a licensed psychiatrist, it has also become my wish to promote and protect Saipan’s rich, beautiful waters.