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NMI is seen to finally have 24-hour palatable water’
With over $100 million in federal funds for the next five years, the Marianas is expected to reach its goal of having a 24-hour palatable water for all residents of the islands, according to Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) over the weekend.
In his e-kilili newsletter, Sablan thanked Commonwealth Utilities Corp. officials for giving him a tour Thursday of the new concrete water tank in San Vicente.
He said CUC executive director Gary P. Camacho, chief engineer Larry Manacop, project manager Alley Reyes, and acting Water and Waste manager Yvonne Cabrera-Ogumoro showed him the work that’s already in progress with the new 0.75-million-gallon concrete water tank.
Sablan
The delegate said the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is providing $100 million over the next five years for water systems in the CNMI.
Sablan said the American Rescue Plan Act intended for Gov. Ralph DLG Torres to use some of his $482 million Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery account for water infrastructure.
These funds, he said, together with Super Typhoon Yutu recovery money and the increasing annual funding from the U.S. Congress for the Safe Drinking Water and Clean Water Act ($8.4 million estimated in fiscal year 2022), make it possible for the CNMI finally reach the goal of 24-hour palatable water for every resident of the islands.
In September 2020, Sablan disclosed that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced an award of $17.51 million to the Marianas for water and sewer infrastructure.
He said $10.4 million of these funds come from a specific set-aside for the Marianas that he included in the 2019 disaster relief act, U.S. Public Law 116-20.
The delegate said the balance of $7.19 million is from funds set aside for the Marianas and other territories in the EPA appropriation for fiscal year 2020, U.S. Public Law 116-94.
Sablan has been able to increase the EPA set-aside every year since 2010.
