Posted on: Thursday, March 11, 2004

Guam water utility fined

Associated Press

The Guam Waterworks Authority was fined $11,000 for not completing requirements under an order to improve three of its public water systems, federal environmental officials said.

The utility had been given until February to submit a revised plan under a June 2003 order to develop an interim disinfection program for the water systems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Alex Strauss, EPA's director for water programs in the Pacific Southwest region, said that although Guam Waterworks is making progress in other areas of the order, it still needs to have a plan in place to protect public health.

The utility is required to optimize the disinfection of high-risk wells and maintain specified amounts of chlorine residual everywhere in the distribution system, among other things.