Pete A. calls for local input on water report

Washington Rep. Pete A. Tenorio has asked CNMI officials to re-evaluate and re-prioritize as necessary the recommendations made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in its Water Infrastructure Study for the three main islands of the CNMI.

This is to ensure that the federal agencies’ report to be submitted to Congress in July 2005 will incorporate local water improvement requirements and needs for each municipality, he said.

This comes soon after the U.S. Congress agreed to “federalize” the water problems of the CNMI, recognizing that the available federal entitlements and local funds fall critically short to implement the essential water systems projects for the islands.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study had identified over $200 million worth of Commonwealth-wide projects needed to improve the quality and quantity of water produced to meet minimum guidelines of drinking water mandated by the CNMI and federal government’s Public Drinking Water Standards.

“This commitment by the federal government is unique and presents difficult, time-consuming, but extremely important challenges to our government as well. For the first time in our almost 30 years as a part of the [United States], our historic water systems’ problems are finally recognized as a ‘federal’ problem, and the directive by Congress is meant to fully assist our government and our people until these essential projects are completed and we have potable drinking water in the homes of all our people,” Tenorio said.

In his letter, Tenorio stressed that the role of the local government, including the offices of all elected officials and their respective municipalities, “will be critical in accomplishing the directives of this mandate from Congress. I am writing to you and to all elected officials to invite you to be fully involved and be proactive in the undertaking of this most important endeavor.”

Tenorio asked CNMI officials to review the findings of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Final Report and gave them the option of following the COE recommendations for water improvements as outlined, or to modify the list of recommendations and prioritized projects based on current and critical water needs in each jurisdiction, keeping cost factors in mind.

Upon receipt of the respective reviews, a final report will be prepared and submitted to the Interagency Group on Insular Areas within the next four months to meet the July 31, 2005 deadline set by Congress.

“The ultimate objective of the mandate by Congress is to achieve the goal of providing a water supply to our people that is potable and of sufficient quantity which will meet all standards of public health, appropriate and responsive to the projected growth of our population, and conductive to our Commonwealth’s short and long term economic development goals and objectives,” said Tenorio.

Among the officials Tenorio wrote to include Gov. Juan N. Babauta, the chairs of the Legislative Delegations, mayors of Rota and Tinian, and municipal council chairs.