Previous Story
CUC lifts ‘boil water’ notice for Saipan
|
Posted on Dec 06 2004
Saipan residents no longer need to boil their water as the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. has corrected the problem with its water system.
CUC lifted the “boil water” notice after samples taken from the utility firm’s Saipan water system tested negative of harmful bacteria which, when ingested, could cause gastrointestinal diseases.
Pamela Mathis, CUC special advisor for corporate communications, said the water quality problem on Saipan was corrected through efforts of the water division, whose crews went through Saipan’s water system looking for possible mechanical, technical, or electrical problems that may have caused the contamination.
Mathis said CUC personnel also checked its water treatment facilities to make sure that “we’re not over-chlorinating or under-chlorinating.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Division of Environmental Quality earlier cautioned the public to boil CUC-supplied water, especially before drinking or using it for cooking and food preparation.
EPA Pacific Islands Office manager John McCarroll said the utility firm’s water system was contaminated with E. coli bacteria. He added that problem caused alarm, compounded as it was by inspection findings that CUC’s water system lacked chlorination and has leaks that make it prone to exposure to other contaminants.
DEQ director John Castro instructed CUC to issue a “boil water” public notice daily for at least two consecutive weeks, until the problem is resolved.
“We are pleased to report that the problem has been corrected and that it is no longer necessary to boil the water,” CUC told its Saipan customers in a public notice. “We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.”
Rota residents, however, are still advised to boil their water, which has been contaminated with E. coli bacteria since Nov. 30.
“The CUC Water Division is working with DEQ to resolve the problem. We will inform you when tests show no bacteria and you no longer need to boil your water. We anticipate resolving the problem within a week,” CUC told Rota customers.
