He said CUC particularly complies with the Safe Drinking Water Act which is the main federal law that ensures the quality of Americans’ drinking water.
Former Saipan municipal council member Felipe Q. Atalig recently took CUC to court for, he said, providing water which may be detrimental or dangerous to health.
Atalig said he continues to “suffer damage to his health and medical conditions due to the continuing provision of non-potable and highly chlorinated water.”
Fletcher said CUC’s legal counsel, Deborah Fisher, will answer Atalig’s claim in court.
But he said CUC can answer any questions about its drinking water program and the safety of its water.
Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA sets standards for drinking water quality and oversees the states, localities, and water suppliers that implement those standards, Fletcher said.
In the CNMI, Division of Environmental Quality implements and regulates the provisions of the federal law, he added.
He said CUC, for its part, publishes a Water Quality Report, “which is a comprehensive index of water quality data.”
CUC is proud of its accomplishments in providing drinking water to customers, Fletcher said.
“Each year we conduct thousands of water quality and analytical tests in order to provide our customers with clean, safe drinking water,” he added.
While CUC has faced many challenges over time, he said, they are pleased with their accomplishments in repairing and upgrading their delivery system and in providing quality drinking water to homes and businesses.
In 2010, he said CUC experienced only one total coliform water quality violation, which was due to faulty sampling equipment. This is an excellent record by any standard, he added.
“Thus far, in 2011, we have again only experienced one total coliform violation due to elevated turbidity levels,” he said. While not a health emergency, it is a concern and a public notice was issued, Fletcher added.
CUC has also worked to improve water service to its customers by increasing delivery throughout Saipan, he said.
Fletcher said CUC monitors its water systems daily and employs 25 certified operators.
He said CUC’s disinfection program closely follows the standards set by DEQ’s Safe Drinking Water Program.
“Overall, this program is needed to ensure public health, as many of the wells used to supply groundwater in the commonwealth are shallow wells drilled into high permeability limestone aquifers,” he said.
According to Fletcher, those wells, especially if poorly constructed, are subject to microbiological contamination.
For more information on CUC’s water quality, he urges members of the public to refer to its 2011 Annual Water Quality Report. For additional copies or further information, you can contact CUC at 322-5030 or DEQ at 664-8500.