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Water meter, drill rig purchase contracts signed
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Posted on Aug 03 2004
Due to some delays in the funding approval and processing, acting Gov. Diego T. Benavente only signed yesterday the contracts for the purchase of 4,000 special meters and water drilling rig.
“There was some hold up in the procurement process,” said Benavente in an interview.
Taskforce staff Felix Sablan said that the two projects received funding approval from the Department of the Interior only last June.
“We didn’t get approval from DOI until June 20 to start obligating the funds,” said Sablan in a separate interview.
Benavente, who chairs the Water Taskforce, said his team remains on target in terms of meeting its 24/24 water supply on Saipan in 2005.
“We’re still meeting the goal. We’d install the meters within the year,” said Benavente.
Benavente earlier expected to have the water meters on island in summer 2004.
The purchase of the meters costs $426,000 while the water drilling rig amounts to $836,000.
Sablan said the meters—an electro magnetic type—are being manufactured in United Kingdom.
These will reportedly be delivered through Guam-based contractor, JMI.
The taskforce said that these meters, which do not measure airflow, would be installed in the “worst areas” such as Garapan, Chalan Kanoa, and Susupe.
Conventional water meters will continue to be installed in other areas.
The taskforce noted that water meters need to be installed to ensure that consumers pay for water that they actually use.
Currently, most consumers pay a flat rate of $11 a month primarily because of lack of a 24-hour water supply.
The taskforce said there is a need to impose new water rates when the supply becomes 24 hours.
The taskforce earlier affirmed that Saipan has sufficient water supply but it is not equally shared among customers.
The taskforce said that approximately 90 percent of all water leaks and waste can be attributed to the customers’ side of water connection.
