‘Sewer system turns into septic tank’

A leaking sewer line near Susupe Mart in Susupe has prompted Rep. Manny Gregory T. Castro (Ind-Saipan) to ask a House of Representatives committee to either subpoena officials of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. or have them explain what they plan to do with the problem.

Speaking at a House Public Utilities, Transportation, and Communications Committee meeting yesterday, Castro said the Saipan delegation’s PUTC recently gave CUC an opportunity to address some of the issues or inform the public and the committee about the sewer issue in Precinct 2.

He said his staff informed him that they got communication from CUC’s acting executive director Betty G. Terlaje that they weren’t able to make it at the Saipan delegation meeting.

“This issue is really bad within our precinct. No one should be seeing a sewage leak in front of their property and there are multiple residents that are experiencing that, especially in the Susupe area,” Castro said.

Saipan Tribune checked the area yesterday afternoon and found that the leaking sewer line is located on Tupak Street corner Chinchulu Avenue near Susupe Mart.

A resident in the area said the sewer has been leaking for about two to three months now. He said the smell is especially unbearable if the wind is blowing in the direction of their house.

The resident said human waste would overflow to the street almost daily.

Castro said residents in the area can’t even cut the grass beside the road because the sewer is just toxic.

He said people’s wastes are seen floating over the residents’ driveway and then it’s going into the storm drain across the Susupe Mart.

Castro said even some residents who live on the second or third floor could smell the stench blowing into their residences.

“It needs to be addressed,” he said.

Castro said no one should be experiencing what the Precinct 2 residents are experiencing right now.

“Susupe is just one aspect but…if you drive through there, you’ll see the roads are all messed up,” he said.

Castro said the area turns into basically a centralized septic tank instead of a centralized sewer system.

“So hopefully they can come in and address that. I’m asking if you can require them to come in and explain themselves,” Castro told House PUTC chair Rep. Vincent S. Aldan (Ind-Saipan).

Rep. John Paul P. Sablan (Ind-Saipan) asked Aldan to also include in the committee’s request to CUC for updates on pending water, sewer, and power projects within Saipan, so that they are prepared to answer questions.

Sablan pointed out that CUC has been awarded some federal grants, U.S. Environmental Protection grants, or Capital Improvement Project grants in the past few years, so it is important that the public be informed of what’s going on with regards to water, sewer, and power and what grants are being used to address all these concerns.

Aldan agrees with Castro that nobody in the CNMI should be suffering from the stench of fecal matter in front of their house or any such matters because it is a violation of Environmental Protection Agency regulations, along with health issues.

“So we have to take care of that and we will get CUC in here,” said Aldan, adding that they will demand that CUC explain their plan and state when are they going to execute it.

He said EPA awards CUC millions of dollars annually for water and wastewater. “So how long and how much money do they need that this thing has been going on forever in a day. They better have a goal and a plan on how to rectify this issue as soon as possible,” Aldan said.

Manny Gregory Castro