The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will provide CUC with $778,000 to purchase the system, he added.
As for the 20% matching fund, he said CUC is hoping to obtain the amount from the U.S. Office of Insular Affairs.
For his part, CUC Executive Director Gary Camacho said the senior management team of CUC has prepared a report informing the federal court that action as promised is proceeding with regard to the granular activated carbon or GAC filtration treatment units.
Camacho said the GAC filtration system will be used to rehabilitate the wells at Isley Tank in the Saipan airport area that were contaminated by perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid or PFOS due to the use of fighting foam around the airfields in the past years.
Camacho said a health advisory was issued to the public in a variety of ways to assure the court that CUC is keeping the people informed and reminding them not to use the water in the areas served by the As Terlaje and Kannat Tabla water storage tanks.
He said the Office of the Governor, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Justice have been very helpful in collaborating with the U.S. Department of Commerce- Economic Development Administration in acquiring the necessary funds for the GAC filtration system, he said.
There are 18 wells that feed Isley Tank and only three were affected by PFOS and PFOA, the contaminants used in firefighting foam.
The six wells that feed the As Terlaje and Kannat Tabla tank service areas were affected as well.
Since 2015, the nine wells have been shut off.
In Nov. 2008, DOJ and EPA lodged two stipulated orders to bring into compliance the CUC wastewater plants and collection systems, public drinking water systems, five power plants, and an oil transfer pipeline.
The federal court oversees compliance of the public utility with the stipulated orders.
