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TO EASE WATER SHORTAGE Rota reprograms $500K
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Posted on May 19 2000
Rota — Nearly half-a-million dollars have been reprogrammed by the Rota legislative delegation for a water line project here which officials hope will ease shortage of supply to residents due to lack of water distribution infrastructure.
Laura I. Manglona, board member of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. representing the island municipality, said this will connect the new water wells recently drilled in conjunction with a grant from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“We are indebted to the delegation, because this means that tonight, and every night this summer, our customers will have water — just as soon as the mile-long waterline is connected from the wells to the nearest CUC waterline,” she told a board meeting held here yesterday.
The local funds will help the municipality address the water problem which worsened last year due to the drought induced by El Nino.
“Many of the houses and hotels here do not have rainwater catchment tanks, and water rationing became necessary,” said Ms. Manglona.
Last month, the CUC deputy director for Rota, Antonio Reyes, warned residents of possible water rationing after the Water Cave, its prime source of tap water, has fallen “alarmingly” below the normal level.
He called for immediate help from the central office to avert what he said as “inevitable” water rationing there which was averted since the problem was traced only to the absence of pipeline to connect the new water wells to the Songsong village. (BS)
