Stay of $10K water wellhead fee draws support from House

The chairman of the House Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communications yesterday threw support behind appeal by private well owners for a stay on the proposed fees of at least $10,000 for each wellhead.

Rep. Rosiky F. Camacho said the fees are “ridiculously high” at a time when the island is still mired in economic crisis and most of the wells are aging.

During a meeting with well owners, water companies and federal and local agencies, his committee gathered inputs and recommendations for a proposed comprehensive legislation that will deal with the worsening water situation in the CNMI, particularly on Saipan.

According to Mr. Camacho, private well owners had expressed willingness to pay the fees and even to be metered, but that they want the Division of Environmental Quality to consider other factors before imposing such fees.

“They are hesitant [because they will] continue to be charged without [the agencies] considering the cost of maintaining the wells and of monitoring them,” he told reporters in an interview.

DEQ is expected to conduct a chemical monitoring of all public water systems, including those in businesses, which will require all establishments in the CNMI to pay a minimum of $10,000 for each wellhead.

The monitoring requirements for the three-year period is part of the agency’s Safe Drinking Water program where they will test the water for the presence of some 84 organic and 15 inorganic chemicals as well as a number of radionuclides.

Businesses, which have complained of the high fees they said they would not be able to meet amid the economic downturn, have asked for deferment pending results of the analysis being conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on one chemical test.

The findings, which will come out later this month, will help determine whether the monitoring requirements planned by DEQ are needed in the Commonwealth.

Mr. Camacho, however, said the PUTC committee is studying this issue, such as the schedule in imposing the fees.

“We need to hold it back,” he said, “but the committee is strongly recommending to CUC and DEQ to continue the monitoring system, installation of the meter and search for ways to find out the water consumption.”

In addition, the lawmaker said the private well owners are in favor of handing over management of their wells, especially those that have high water quality, to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, subject to negotiations.

The House committee, which conducted the first in a series of discussion of water situation on the islands on Monday, is expected to draw up recommendations to ensure good production and high quality of water for residents.

It will have to go back to past studies done on the subject to find out whether CUC has complied with these, such as drilling program, metering, fair rate structure, leak detection, public education and imposition of fines for violations.

“My greatest concern is how the general public sees the water situation on the island,” said Mr. Camacho, noting that a lack of understanding on conservation may affect the groundwater resources here.

“People will continue wasting water if nobody is monitoring their use or imposing regulations and rules for these water wells,” he added.