Water crisis looms as rainfall drops sharply

A state of emergency due to the worsening drought may have to be declared by the government to stave off potential serious impact on the island’s fragile water system, officials said.

Rainfall on Saipan alone dropped to an average of 39.85 inches this year, almost half of the normal level of 79.15 inches, according to the data released by the U.S. Geological Survey.

The low number is largely blamed on El Nino, the global weather phenomenon that has prolonged the dry spell in the Northern Marianas which so far has not experienced its typhoon season normally occuring this time of the year.

Because of the drought, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. is stepping up efforts to increase water conservation and wise use of the limited supply, said its information officer Pamela Mathis.

“It is up to the governor to declare a state of emergency but the drought is already a disaster and it is a serious concern,” she told in an interview Friday.

Mathis said 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.

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.

A metering scheme has been recently installed by the government-owned utility firm to track down water consumers as well as check the condition of the wells.

Although water rationing is not yet an option in this time, Mathis 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.

Last March, 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, Mathis said.