WTF unveils repaired Capital Hill reservoir

Two months before its targeted completion date, the newly rehabilitated water reservoir on Capital Hill was already supplying water to hundreds of homes in six areas on Saipan.

The reservoir, which has a capacity of one million gallons and is located on Tapochao Road, is now servicing 1,027 customers on a 24-hour basis, piping water to households on Capital Hill, Wireless Ridge, I Denni, Talofofo, Agag and toward the Kagman Mobil intersection.

“We are actually scheduled to finish the project in December. So we are one month ahead. But we have been serving the people since October,’ said Water Task Force coordinator Pete Sasamoto after the ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday.

He said the rehabilitation of the 54-year old reservoir is a project of the Water Task Force, chaired by Lt. Gov. Tim Villagomez, and Commonwealth Utilities Corporation.

Villagomez and CUC executive director Antonio Muña led yesterday’s ribbon-cutting rites yesterday, together with corporate director Joshua Sasamoto of the Northern Marianas Housing Corp. and Federal Capital Improvement Projects Coordinator Keith Aughenbaugh of the Office of Insular Affairs at the Department of the Interior.

“This is a landmark and the location is on a strategic area,” said Villagomez.

Muña said the project’s completion would resolve some issues regarding water supply to the area.

“It’s a wonderful contribution to the community,” he said.

The reservoir has a diameter of 101 ft. and a height of 21 ft. It was erected in 1954 by the U.S. Navy during the Trusteeship Government. It sprung several leaks in later years and has been idle since then.

The rehabilitation project included cleaning, sealing and painting the tank’s interior and exterior.

Contractor Maeda Corporation installed bypass lines to connect three wells to the existing 12-inch transmission line and installed eight inches of bypass to combine the 10-inch distribution lines to allow water services to continue during rehabilitation.

The total contract amount was $319,759.93.

They also installed a 140-foot 6-inch distribution line to provide continuous water service and paved 1,300 square feet of asphalt, 2,002 feet of percolation trench and earth berm and installed a stainless steel vent.

Rehabilitation work started in April, funded by NMHC with an amount of $240,239.26 for the tank. An amount of $79,520.67 for the tie-in and paving was made available through an OIA CIP grant.