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Marines provide drinking water to the public
Drinking water is being produced and distributed to the public by the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit of the U.S. Marine Corps as part of their Typhoon Soudelor relief efforts on island.
Using their lightweight water purification system and tactical water purification system, the Marines are able to produce drinking water at the Garapan Fishing Base.
Lt. Col. Eric Malinowski, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit Liaison; Rear Adm. Bette Bolivar, Commander Joint Region Marianas; CNMI Lt. Gov. Ralph Torres, and Maj. Joseph Montedor inspects the lightweight water purification system and tactical water purification system set up by the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit of the U.S. Marine Corps at the Garapan Fishing Base. (MC3 KRISTINA MARSHALL)
“Our task is to produce water and distribute that water to five distribution centers,” Lt. Col. Eric Malinowski, commanding officer of the Combat Logistics Battalion 31 said.
“The Marines will push out water to the distribution sites,” Malinowski added.
Malinowksi said they started Monday night and were able to produce 3,000 gallons of water.
The group of 17 Marines dedicated to water production was able to distribute water of up to five gallons per person yesterday. Today they will start distributing at the Garapan Fishing Base at 8am.
The Marines are also bringing water to three fire stations: Koblerville Fire Station, Kagman Fire Station, and San Roque Fire Station.
According to Gunnery Sgt. Weiss of the engineering staff for the water section of the 31st MEU, the LWPS, which is smaller unit, can produce up to 3,000 gallons of water in a 24-hour period. It is a reverse osmosis (hyper-filtration) modular unit.
The TWPS, on the other hand, can produce 30,000 to 40,000 gallons in a 24-hour period but is being utilized for the hospital right now, according to Weiss.
“That is totally dedicated to the hospital right now. All the water that we make [in the TWPS] is being picked up by water trucks and taken to the hospital to keep the hospital up and running,” Weiss said.
