CUC gets help from EPA for Rota

The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. is getting all the help it could get from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency when it comes to safeguarding the water supply in the island of Rota.

“CUC is working with EPA to fund the safeguard and protection of the main water cave that supplies the majority of the islands water needs,” said CUC in Rota’s water quality report that they recently released.

“In addition, several new pressure reducing valves and relocation of the main water tank near the airport to a new site at a higher elevation will establish a fully pressured systems that relies on little to no power demand.”

The report was released to inform CUC’s consumers on the water service that they deliver. “Our goal is to provide you and your family a safe and dependable supply of drinking water.”

“Today, 100 percent of all Rota water customers enjoy 24-hour water service. Our CUC water employees continue to strive to deliver a quality product to all of our customers and to protect the CNMI’s water resources.”

The report said they continue to improve their operations, response time in addressing problems, and strategic planning for the entire CNMI with their main goal is reducing non-revenue waterloos on all three islands—Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

“To control bacterial contamination in our water, CUC water operators add trace amounts of chlorine to the water before it is distributed into the pipelines to you, our customers,” added CUC in their report.

Microbial (viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife); inorganic (salts and metals from storm water, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming); pesticides and herbicides (agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses); synthetic organic chemicals (industrial processes and petroleum production that could also come from gas stations); and radioactive (naturally occurring or result of oil and gas production and mining activities) are some of the contaminants that may be present in source water.

They are also advising people with sensitive immune systems—vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population—to seek advice about drinking water from their healthcare providers.

These are immune-comprised people either with cancer that are undergoing chemotherapy, those who had organ transplants, those who have HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, and some elderly and infants that could be at risk from infections.

For more information, call CUC’s water laboratory at 322-5140 or report any problems at 664-4282. CUC’s customers could also visit their website cucgov.org or check their Facebook page facebook/CommonwealthUtilitiesCorporation.