By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
ROTA residents are questioning why they continue to pay a water-electric charge when most of the island’s water system is gravity-fed, according to Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission Chair James Sirok.
Sirok said the issue was one of several raised during public comment at the commission’s two-day meeting on Rota in December.
The CPUC met with Commonwealth Utilities Corporation administrative staff on Dec. 11 and conducted site visits the following day, including stops at the power plant, the chlorine facility, and the island’s water cave.
He praised CUC’s Rota staff for their support during the visit.
“They just did an outstanding job for us. Really, really good job,” Sirok said. “Your administrative staff and CUC Executive Director Kevin Watson went above and beyond the call of duty in assisting us on Rota.”
Water-cave access concerns
Sirok said commissioners experienced firsthand the difficulty of reaching the water cave, which supplies Rota’s drinking water.
“That was a hell of a hike up that cave,” he said. “Before we reached the mountainside stairs, which had 130–150 steps, we had to traverse a road that was just ungodly.”
He said the road was washed out in several areas, preventing vehicles from reaching the stairway.
“It’s a very dangerous road unless it is corrected,” Sirok said, noting that CUC staff must regularly climb to the cave to take readings. “It certainly is in need of repair or renovation.”
Water-electric charge
Residents repeatedly asked why they are billed a water-electric charge when water flows downhill from the cave without the need for pumping.
“Why are they being charged a water-electric charge when basically all the water to the homes is gravity-fed?” he said.
CUC staff told commissioners that a few pumps on the island do use electricity, but Sirok said the issue is already being addressed in the utility’s pending rate case.
“The rate case filed with the commission will take care of that,” he said. “The water-electric charge will be eliminated and moved to the electric side of the bill.” He added that the change would apply to Saipan as well.
Homestead infrastructure and farmer rates
Residents also raised concerns about the lack of utility infrastructure in homestead areas, which prevents families from building on their lots.
“Those homestead lots can’t be built on until infrastructure is in place,” Sirok said. “That is a primary concern.”
Another issue was the absence of a dedicated water rate for farmers, a request the Legislature has asked the CPUC to review.
“Farming is a big activity on Rota, as it is in Saipan,” Sirok said. “Maybe you could talk with your consultants and we can talk with ours, and we can come up with a water rate for farmers — if it’s viable.”
He said the CPUC would appreciate CUC’s analysis on whether such a rate is feasible and why it has not been implemented previously.
Sirok provided the comments during the public comment portion of CUC’s board meeting on Jan. 8.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
