“That’s an issue that should be addressed immediately,” CUC water division manager Mariano Iglecias said.
CUC will not raise its water rate just because of the water loss from the unauthorized use of hydrants, he added.
But the law is specific that fire hydrants are for firefighting purposes only, he said.
CUC water and wastewater division chief engineer Robert J. Lorenz said only the fire division is authorize to use fire hydrants.
The unauthorized use of hydrants is a long-standing issue, Iglecias said, adding that they have already informed other government agencies not to get water from the hydrants, but they still continue to do so.
He did not disclose the names of these agencies.
There are 614 fire hydrants on Saipan and the fire division is supposed to number and paint all of them, Iglecias said.
“We want to make sure there’s water in the hydrants and that they don’t leak,” he added.
The role of the fire division is to make sure the hydrants are visible, well-maintained and there’s no unauthorized used, Iglecias said.
CUC should also help monitor the unauthorized use of hydrants, he added.
