Saipan water contaminated with same chemical found on Guam

Steve Limtiaco | Pacific Daily News

The same chemical contaminant that last year forced the Guam Waterworks Authority to shut down some of its water wells on Guam has also been found in the water supply on Saipan.

The Commonwealth Utilities Corporation on Tuesday announced that customers in several villages on Saipan should not drink tap water or cook with it until the level of perfluoroocotane sulfonate in the water supply has dropped below health advisory levels.

The chemical, commonly used in firefighting foam and some commercial goods, has not been used by manufacturers in the United States for more than a decade.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that a health advisory be issued if the amount of PFOS in the water exceeds 70 parts per trillion. Water tested at a booster station that serves several Saipan villages showed contamination levels of 120 parts per trillion, the CUC stated, based on test results received June 5.

To reduce the contamination, the CUC said it turned off two wells that had elevated levels of PFOS and turned on four wells that have no detectable levels of the chemical.

The CUC advisory applies to the following villages on Saipan:

Chalan Laulau;

Iliying;

Chalan Kiya;

As Terlaje;

Kanat Tabla;

Fina Sisu; and

parts of As Lito.

“CUC is making this advisory action to help the affected population limit their lifetime exposure to this chemical,” the utility agency stated.

The chemical poses a risk to the health of unborn children, and breastfed and formula-fed infants who are exposed to drinking water above EPA's health advisory level, according to U.S. EPA. At higher levels, it may cause cancer, according to U.S. EPA.

Guam testing

The Guam Waterworks Authority last year shut down several wells and issued public advisories after elevated levels of PFOS were found in the water supply.

Wells A-25 and A-23, located along Route 4 near the Hagåtña McDonald's restaurant, were removed from the water distribution system last August after they tested positive in 2015 for contamination by PFOS. They remain shut down.

One test, in 2015, indicated the water in well A-25 contained 410 parts per trillion of the chemical.

New water samples were drawn from the two wells earlier this month, and results from off-island laboratories will confirm if they still are contaminated.