A similar situation exists in the Garapan to San Jose areas, where the six-mile water pipeline has critical leakage problem, he added.
About 3,000 customers in those two areas are affected by the irregular distribution of water, which CUC pressurizes at least six hours a day, Malae said.
If CUC pressurizes 24/7 the Lower Base to As Matuis areas, which stretch to five miles, it will lose 50 percent of the water supply to the leaking pipes, he added.
He described the leaking pipes problem as “very bad.”
The pipes, he said, need immediate replacement.
Water Task Force special advisor Kay Delafield considers the Lower Base area as one of the “most critical” in terms of water loss volume.
In January, Malae said CUC will bid out the water project for Lower Base-As Matuis while the Water Task Force will implement a similar project in Garapan-San Jose.
He said CUC was able to secure $250,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and CIP 702 funds for the replacement of the Lower Base-As Matuis pipeline.
CUC, however, needs $500,000 for the water project but will use whatever available funds it has to implement the project section by section until the whole stretch is covered, Malae said.
