CUC water has high bacterial content in July

Drinking water supplied by the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. on Saipan last month showed a high number of water samples turning out positive for coliform bacteria.

The Division of Environmental Quality issued the CUC a citation last week, noting other violations besides bacterial contamination. The DEQ said the CUC failed to collect adequate number of repeat water samples and to notify the public about the bacterial contamination.

The DEQ also separately notified the CUC that its water system on Rota violated the CNMI Drinking Water Regulations, saying the utility firm failed to monitor for coliform bacteria and to issue a public notice about the violation.

In separate notices sent to CUC executive director Lorraine Babauta, DEQ director John I. Castro Jr. threatened the utility firm that it could issue an administrative order that entails monetary fines of up to $25,000 per day of violation, if corrective measures are not promptly undertaken.

The DEQ cited laboratory tests that showed 14 water samples from the CUC’s water system on Saipan turning out positive for coliform bacteria.

Although the CUC adequately collected 95 routine samples beyond the 70 samples required of it, the DEQ said the utility firm collected only 32 repeat samples in July, less than 10 samples from the required number.

On Rota, the utility firm failed to collect any of the required five routine water samples, the DEQ said.

Castro directed the CUC to ensure it supplies Saipan with drinking water that does not contain coliform bacteria exceeding the maximum allowable level. He also directed the CUC to collect the required number of bacteriological samples from its water system on Rota, adding the need to notify the public about the violations on the two islands.

The CUC’s compliance with drinking water regulations has been an issue of concern on the islands. At one time, the DEQ revoked the CUC’s laboratory after findings of tampering with data on the results of sampling tests.

Earlier, however, Castro recognized that the CUC had achieved significant efforts to make its water facilities fully compliant with regulations. He said the CUC could regain its laboratory’s certification to allow the use of the facility to perform tests in compliance with the DEQ’s Safe Drinking Water Program.