Babauta arrived yesterday morning and met with Gov. Benigno R. Fitial in the afternoon.
Babauta also met with the officials and members of the CNMI Water Task Force and visited the recently completed waterline project in Garapan as well as the Rapogao water tank and distribution system in Sadog Tasi.
He received updates about ongoing projects and the possible need for future funding, according to Keith Aughenbaugh, capital improvement project coordinator of the Office of Insular Affairs.
Aughenbaugh noted that since the water task force was created in 2004, it has received a total of $33.8 million in CIP funding from OIA.
As a result of the task force’s efforts, the 24-hour water service increased from 26 percent in 2006 to 78 percent of the residents today.
“A goal of both the water task force and OIA is to provide 24-hour water service to 100 percent of the residents of Saipan within the next couple of years,” Interior said in a statement.
Babauta assured the water task force that he will do his best to identify additional funding to meet this goal.
Babauta was here last month for Interior’s economic and labor development forum at the Fiesta Resort & Spa.
