By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

THE Guam Waterworks Authority is scheduled to break ground today on its long awaited Ugum water treatment plant upgrade project.
The $10 million project is financed by funds from GWA’s $100 million bond float, as well as additional funding from the Guam Environmental Protection Agency.
GWA public information officer Heidi Ballendorf said $9 million will be sourced from the bond float while $1 million will be provided by GEPA.
The Ugum water treatment plant on the Ugum River supplies drinking water to southeastern villages.
Over the years, soil erosion and increased turbidity levels in the Ugum River have been adversely affecting water quality and drinking water supplies.
Ballendorf said the GWA upgrade project will address these problems by greatly improving the processing of the water and fully automating the treatment plant.
“Residents from Umatac to Ipan, to Windward Hills and Cross Island will benefit from this project,” Ballendorf said.
The upgrade to the Ugum water treatment plant has been planned by GWA for several years back but the utility did not have the funds to start it until now.
The plant upgrade is expected to not only improve water service in the south but also allow more southern residents to receive water service from Ugum, instead of the Navy, which has lately been shutting down its Fena water reservoir.
Other plans to include water service in the south include the following:
* The construction of a 185 million-gallon reservoir to provide for growth and a 60-day emergency reserve;
* The replacement of the existing earthquake-damaged sand filters with submerged membrane filters that will expand water production to residents, even when there is high turbidity in the water; and
* The modification of water intake to minimize siltation and provide more reliable raw water supply during low river flow conditions.