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OIA-funded project brings 24-hour water coverage to 95 pct.
U.S. Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs Tony Babauta and acting governor Eloy S. Inos led yesterday’s ribbon-cutting for a $478,000 Papago waterline improvement project, bringing to 95 percent the 24-hour water coverage for Commonwealth Utilities Corp. customers.
Babauta said the 95 percent 24-hour water coverage is a jump from 26 percent in 2006.
Inos, in his remarks at the brief afternoon ceremony, said the CNMI has “definitely come a long way.”
He said the project installed 6,900 lineal feet of 8-inch PVC distribution lines, 500 lineal feet of 6-inch PVC distribution lines, and connected 39 service laterals.
“The Papago distribution line is connected to the Capital Hill Reservoir distribution line, which eliminates low water pressure for customers in high elevations, in addition to providing 24 hours, seven days a week water service to 3,385 customers,” Inos said.
CUC acting executive director Alan Fletcher said the goal is to bring the uninterrupted water coverage to 100 percent by November this year.
Babauta lauded the CNMI government, the Water Task Force, CUC, contractors and all others who have worked collaboratively with the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs for years to improve water services in the CNMI.
Pete Sasamoto of the CNMI Water Task Force said the project contractor is AIC Marianas, and the contract is for a little over $478,000. He said the Papago waterline improvement project is fully funded by OIA.
OIA has so far invested some $34 million to help improve the CNMI’s water systems.
Inos said the CNMI will continue to execute projects such as the Papago waterline improvement to provide continuous water service to all customers.
“Governor Fitial and I would like to thank the Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs for supporting this project. I look forward to the next project of the Water Task Force in bringing our entire Commonwealth community closer to having consistent water service,” Inos added.
By Haidee V. Eugenio
Reporter
