By Bryan Manabat
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
SAIPAN has reached roughly 90% 24-hour water service, but Commonwealth Utilities Corporation crews continue to uncover new leaks and previously undocumented service lines running through private property, utility coordinator Joel Hoepner said during Friday’s press briefing.
Hoepner said the island’s water system is stabilizing faster than expected, with major gains in production and pressure over the past week. Still, the remaining gaps — particularly in the north and southeast — require constant monitoring as tanks struggle to maintain consistent levels.
“We’re hoping in the next few days we can show that north end of the service area to be green,” he said, referring to As Matuis, San Roque, and Tanapag, the last northern neighborhoods without confirmed 24-hour service. “We’re really watching the tank, and we’re really looking for leaks up there.”
Leak detection has become a central part of the restoration effort. Hoepner said nine to 12 wastewater division staff members have been reassigned to water operations, conducting meter-to-meter sweeps across the island. The team has already canvassed As Matuis and San Roque and is now moving south through Fina Sisu, identifying customer-side leaks, faulty meters, and irregular flow.
“We’re fixing leaks every day. It’s an ongoing battle,” Hoepner said. “Leaks continue to surface and show themselves, so we continue to fix them.”
The sweeps have also revealed previously unknown pipes and service lines, some running across private land to reach customers elsewhere — a legacy of decades-old undocumented connections.
“We always find new lines that we were unaware of,” Hoepner said. “We get them documented, and hopefully we can work to get those service lines into a right-of-way in the future, where they’re supposed to be.”
Outside the north, Kannat Tabla remains the only “orange” zone on CUC’s map, though Hoepner said pressure has improved after a week of adjustments to temporary pumps. A few homes in Chalan Kiya are still being reconnected after storm runoff destroyed a section of waterline.
The largest remaining challenge is the Papago–San Vicente–Dandan corridor, where CUC is working to push more volume from the Kagman well field. Additional generators are being deployed to increase output and stabilize tank levels.
A major boost came this week when all wells in Isley Field and Obyan returned to normal grid power.
“Isley is one of our biggest tank service areas. It’s looking very strong today,” Hoepner said. “We pretty much held the tank at the same level all day.”
Hoepner said the goal remains full 24-hour service islandwide, and the system is “just about there.”
Residents who spot leaks are urged to call the CUC hotline.
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.
