Every five years, CUC has to conduct a cleanup which includes the disinfection of the tanks and getting water samples.
Megarr said this year, four tanks need to be painted, and their corroded bolts and pipes must be replaced.
But except for the water tank in Puerto Rico, the rest are in good shape, he added.
The Puerto Rico water tank’s roof is corroded and, when hit by strong winds, may eventually collapse, Megarr said.
However, he added, their post-typhoon assessment report showed no damage to CUC’s water facilities.
“The tank is still doing its job. It continues to keep the water and store water. Our concern is there’s a structural member in the roofing that is corroded and needs to be repaired,” he said.
According to Megarr, the roofing system of the water tank could fail in certain conditions. If there’s lateral stress, the tank can bend, he said.
Saipan has 14 water tanks and each has a capacity of 500,000 to one million gallons of water.
Although a water tank life span is 20 years, Megarr said some of them are already 40 years old because CUC has been properly maintaining them.
“There are no tanks [with problems] that are beyond our ability to address and every five years they are scheduled for structural soundness [tests],” he said.
