Mayor: Saipan water delivery faces delay • Island residents asked to be patient

Due to low water pressure, Mayor Jose C. Sablan yesterday said water delivery among residents on the island will be delayed.

What used to take only 30 minutes to fill up a tank has now stretched to one hour and 30 minutes. “We are asking them to be patient and we are doing everything to [address] the situation,” said Ramon Diaz, budget and fiscal officer of the Mayor’s Office.

The Mayor’s Office noted that the water supply from its present source has recently become too salty, prompting the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. to assist them in identifying other areas where they can find better water for residents on the island.

Mr. Diaz said the Mayor’s Office has been swamped with requests seeking delivery of water but they cannot cope with the demand until they find better water source.

The Mayor’s Office receives water delivery requests from a high of 390 to a low of 150 a day.

Environment officials see the need to step up efforts in increasing water conservation and wise use of the limited supply due to the current level of water pressure on Saipan.

Government officials said people will have to start taking steps to prevent crippling water crisis here, including building rain-catchment tank and fixing leaks in the pipes.

In the past, rainfall on Saipan alone dropped to an average of 39.85 inches which is almost half of the normal level of 79.15 inches. The low number is largely blamed on El Nino, the global weather phenomenon that had prolonged the dry spell in the Northern Marianas.

At least 35 wells on Saipan have been found to have high chloride level far exceeding the limit set by the Environmental Protection Agency or the World Health Organization due to the absence of rainfall during the height of the El Nino phenomenon in 1998.

Most of the 10 million gallons of water use up everyday by island residents are produced by 132 wells located around Saipan, which pump groundwater into the surface.

But the lack of rainfall has dried up the wells in recent months, straining the water system as sea water begins to creep in and forcing CUC to monitor residential and commercial establishments on their usage.

In March 1998, CUC set up water distribution schedule in areas where shortage commonly occurs in response to the initial impact of El Nino. The program was stopped after rainfall level improved the following months.
On Rota, the utility firm has begun water rationing when the Water Cave, its main source of potable water, shrank by 33 inches for the first time in decades.