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OIA’s Babauta: NMI’s 24-hour water coverage now 80 pct.
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Posted on Dec 13 2011
By Haidee V. Eugenio
Reporter
Reporter
With the help of over $30 million in federal funds, the CNMI’s 24-hour water coverage has increased from 26 percent in 2006 to 80 percent this year, according to Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs Tony Babauta.
Babauta made the statement during yesterday’s ribbon cutting for the Agag well fields isolation and water system improvement project, which the Interior Department funded with some $826,000.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos joined Babauta at the ceremony that also attended by representatives of the Water Task Force, Commonwealth Utilities Corp., Capital Improvement Project Office, project contractor AIC Marianas, and other guests.
Babauta will be on Rota today for the completion of another utilities project, among other things. He was on Tinian last week.
The OIA official said they have been supporting the work of the Fitial administration and the Water Task Force in improving water services, thus the over $30 million in OIA investments in CNMI water projects.
Inos, in his brief remarks, said the project completion is “yet another good indication of the government’s commitment to ensure that public funds are spent prudently for the benefit of our people.”
“With this isolation of the Agag well to the Capital Hill reservoir, the residents of Papago can now enjoy better water services through the installation of new waterlines and advance distribution technology,” he said.
He cited Babauta and OIA for their “generous assistance in awarding the CNMI some $826,000 for this project,” and commended the CIP Office, the CNMI Water Task Force, and CUC “for coordinating and facilitating this project along with the contractor, AIC Marianas.”
This is a three-part project that includes two other well sites in Dandan and Gualo Rai.
“We certainly look forward to the completion of those two sites in the very near future,” said Inos.
