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Aging water wells in Agag to be replaced
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Posted on Apr 04 2005
The Water Task Force will replace the six aging wells in the Agag Field with new ones to boost the water supply in the area and neighboring villages.
The old wells were drilled between the late 1960s and early 1970s during the Trust Territory government, according to Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente, who heads the task force.
“Over time, the wells’ yield has decreased significantly,” said Benavente.
Instead of rehabilitating the wells, the task force decided to drill new ones on the same sites for better results.
The task force estimates that the new wells will increase water production by 30 percent, and provide improved water service to residents in the area.
Once construction is done, the new wells will immediately be connected to a system that will link them to a reservoir. A booster pump will then send the water from the reservoir to a one-million-gallon holding tank on Capitol Hill, which distributes water to Capitol Hill, Wireless Hill, I Denni, As Teo, Agag, all the way to the Kagman intersection.
The water task force plans to have these new wells in operation and shut off the old ones in July.
“Sometime in July, the water will go into the existing system,” said Benavente.
Work on the new water wells started in January this year.
Last week, contractors hired by the task force started pouring 50-foot cement between a well wall and casing in Agag near the Sta. Lourdes intersection. A well pad will also be installed to reduce the chance of contamination from surface sources. This is the last step in constructing a well.
Following this, the four other new wells will also be cemented, while work on the sixth well continues, the task force said.
The task force is also currently working on several exploratory wells in Achugao, Marpi, and Mt. Tapochao.
The task force, which was formed by Gov. Juan N. Babauta, has set an aggressive drilling and well construction schedule that initially includes 100 exploratory wells. The task force hopes to put two million gallons a day of additional good quality water into the utility water system before the end of 2005. (PR)
