CUC cites improvements in overall water quality

The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. announced yesterday that it continues to score big accomplishments in providing drinking water to its customers.

The agency annually publishes a water quality report that is intended as a comprehensive index of water quality data.

“Each year we conduct thousands of water quality and analytical tests in order to provide our customers with clean, safe drinking water. While CUC has faced many challenges over time, we are pleased with our accomplishments in repairing and upgrading our delivery system and in providing quality drinking water to your homes and businesses,” CUC said in a statement yesterday.

CUC monitors its water systems daily and employs 25 certified operators.

In the past two consecutive years, CUC said it noted only a few violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. In 2010, CUC experienced only one total coliform water quality violation, mainly due to faulty sampling equipment.

Thus far, in 2011, it has experienced only one total coliform violation due to elevated turbidity levels. While not a health emergency, it is a concern and a public notice was issued.

CUC described this progress as “an excellent record by any standard.”

It said it has also increased delivery of 24-hour water service throughout Saipan.

A major part of this success, according to the agency, comes from its water treatment and disinfection program. CUC treats its water by injecting trace amounts of chlorine throughout its service areas. This disinfection process is required by the Division of Environmental Quality and provides a barrier of protection against bacterial growth in the water system.

In addition, CUC’s disinfection program closely follows the standards set by the CNMI-DEQ Safe Drinking Water Program. Overall, this program is needed to ensure public health, as many of the wells used to supply water in the Commonwealth are shallow wells drilled into highly permeable limestone aquifers. These wells, especially if poorly constructed, are subject to microbiological contamination.

“For these reasons, it is important for public water systems that produce drinking water from these sources to effectively treat the source water before the water is provided to their consumers,” said CUC.

CUC also reports that its chlorine levels are in full compliance.