CUC unveils new 1M gallon water tank in Puerto Rico

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, fifth from right, and Department of Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Esther Kia’aina, fourth from right, led the ribbon-cutting ceremony that inaugurated the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.’s new 1-million water in Puerto Rico last Friday. (Contributed Photo)

Joined by local and federal officials, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. on Friday unveiled its new 1 million gallon water reservoir in Puerto Rico, a newly completed project meant to go along with other water tank rehabilitation or reconstruction across the island.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony early Friday morning, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres called the project a “milestone” in addressing the CNMI’s water issues.

Visiting Department of Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas, Esther Kia’aina, noted her pleasure at attending an event that had true impacts on its people. “Water is essential to life,” she said. “We need to applaud the CNMI today… We can see a dramatic difference in 24-hour water service, from 26 percent to 90 percent water service. This is about getting the people’s work done.”

Providing some background on the project, CUC chief engineer for water and wastewater, John Riegel, said the project was funded 85 percent through the Economic Development Administration through the Office of Insular Affairs and the local Capitol Improvement Project funded the rest.

Construction cost was about $1.4 million, he said, and the engineering cost was about $150,000.

The contractor for construction was the AIC Construction and engineering was done by Duenas Camacho and Associates out of Guam. The main tank erector was the Tano Group.

“What we see behind of me, in front of you, is a 1-million gallon tank. It’s a welded steel construction. It has a coating system on the inside… The original tank that stood here was also a million gallons. It was also a welded steel tank. It was built approximately in the 1970s. And several years ago there was an assessment of the tank and the steel plates had about 50 percent of the steel corroded, the rafters were disconnected so the ceiling of the tank was actually hanging on the shell,” Riegel said.

“And so what was happening was the top was being concaved and when it rain it just collected water which is just more added weight on that roof and so tankers was at pretty severe threat of collapse.”

Riegel went on to say that the tank was taken out of service and OIA was able to fund the new project, “and we now have a nice shiny tank.” “This is a very important tank because it serves the main tourist area, Garapan, south of Garapan, Lower Base, where the power plant is, and also of course that’s the main economic development area in Lower Base.”

He added EDA has also funded a project to replace the water line down in Lower Base, where construction is about 90 percent complete.

EDA is also working on a sewer replacement project in Lower Base, he said.

Together, the tank and wastewater projects in Lower Base “are really going to provide an economic boost that is important.”

In the meantime, he said CUC continues to work on other projects, as the Puerto Rico Tank is one of the 13 tanks that CUC has here on island.

Noting the big rusty tank on the drive up As Terlaje Hill, he said this tank, the NMC Tank, has project funded by EPA for its replacement which will go out to bid soon.

The Papago Tank is also under construction, according to Riegel, and is almost complete. The San Vicente Tank, which is also severely rusted with a concaved roof, is also eyed for fixing.

“All of these tank projects are creating the necessary stores we need on the system,” Riegel said.