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Sewage overflows at DPW office
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Posted on Nov 24 2004
Sewage overflowed from a drainage system within the Department of Public Works’ Technical Services Division in Lower Base, prompting the Bureau of Environmental Health to temporarily relocate employees from the affected premises.
A BEH inspector found out that sewage backflowed to the restrooms and drainage system within the TSD.
The BEH considered the situation as a “major backflow,” prompting it to report the matter to the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. and the Division of Environmental Quality.
“It’s not safe for the employees to be present in the office that got affected,” said sanitation officer Camacho in a government and public building inspection report.
The BEH said the TSD should first have the affected facility cleaned and sanitized before allowing employees to work there.
The TSD’s location is not far from Tanapag, which experiences perennial sewage overflows.
Recently, though, the CNMI government identified additional funding to complete the relocation and upgrading of sewer pump stations in Tanapag.
Public Law 14-31 allocated some $283,000 to complete the relocation of the T-1 pump station to the location of the T-2 pump station and to finish the upgrade of the T-2 pump station.
The Babauta administration earlier noted that another legislation, P.L. 14-5, already appropriated $374,766 for the sewer pump station projects.
The CUC’s wastewater division developed the proposal to relocate the T-1 pump station, which is located near public facilities such as the Tanapag Social Hall, children’s playground, and nearby beaches.
