By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff

HEALTH-regulated establishments such as dining and drinking places must temporarily shut down when they run out of potable water unless they have an alternate source of water supply, the Department of Public Health and Social Service said.
The department has issued new sanitation guidelines to ensure public safety amid the constant water outages in different villages resulting from the Guam Waterworks Authority’s and the Navy’s repair projects on the Fena Treatment Plant.
Santa Rita, Agat, and Piti experienced a water service interruption from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. yesterday as the Navy temporarily shut down the water treatment plant for repair.
Last week, Agat residents suffered from a water outage for two days due to the breakdown of a 12-inch water line on Erskin Drive.
“If there is no adequate running portable water, all health regulated establishments are to cease all operations,” DPHSS said. “However, exemptions may be made for establishments which have an alternate source or means of obtaining and using potable water for their facility.”
The department said dining places with low water pressure must boil water before use because the quality of water may have been compromised. When there is no running water, restaurants must not allow dining in the facility and limit their operations to serving takeout meals.
The department also advises restaurant owners to constantly disinfect tap water and keep a backup supply of 50 gallons.