THE CNMI’s surface water, ground water, lagoon and reefs are under major threats that include high chlorides, heavy storm water runoff and man-made pollution, the Division of Environmental Quality said in a 73-page report released Friday.
In its 2002 CNMI Water Quality Report, DEQ said that under the current development pressure, the island residents are challenged to maintain and improve their water resources.
John I. Castro, DEQ director, said in a separate statement that the report is one of the grant requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
He said it was released to the public so that the local environmental managers, teachers, legislators, businessmen and other interested parties would easily understand the current state of the CNMI waters.
The report said the largest ground water problems in the CNMI are high chlorides resulting from over-pumping of this basal aquifer in an effort to keep up with the increasing population demand, and nutrient and bacteria input from septic systems.
DEQ said 39 beach sites are monitored weekly. In 2000 and 2001, most micro biological violations occurred in areas with heavy storm water runoff.
Many of these sites are within the highly developed Garapan district, as well as those within Saipan marinas or in waters surrounding docks.
Almost all of these sites have violated the water quality standards for more than five times for 2000 and 2001.
DEQ and the Coastal Resources Management initiated a lagoon monitoring program.
A healthy lagoon environment, said DEQ, should have low abundance of seasonal macro-algae and large abundance of sand, coral or seagrass.
