by John Davis, KUAM News Wednesday, May 21, 2008 Subscribe to John's newsfeed   E-mail this article Printable version KUAM Toolbar Web Widgets Get RSS headlines

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The Guam Waterworks Authority sewer system has reached capacity in the central portion of the island. Simply put this means a moratorium has been placed on all new developments, specifically in areas where GWA's sewer infrastructure cannot handle any additional demands on the system. And this comes as bad news for businesses looking to open up shop in those areas.

Call it a sign of the times - thousands of gallons of raw sewage spewing from manholes on the street to gallons more seeping into the ocean. The Guam Waterworks Authority's sewer system servicing the central parts of the island is literally bursting at the seams. Because the agency is unable to handle the amount of sewage currently traveling through the pipes, the utility agency's
chief engineer, Don Antrobus, says dreams of an economic boom for Central Guam have come to a grinding halt. "Anyone that is approaching GWA for a new connection to the sewer system will be told, 'No, we do not have capacity,'" he explained.

Last night the Consolidated Commission on Utilities approved a moratorium on any new development in the central part of the island that would add to the demand on the already overloaded sewer system. This means developments projected for Harmon, Tamuning, Hagatna and Tumon Bay from the Pacific Islands Club southbound to the Guam Memorial Hospital would be on hold indefinitely.

With the impending military buildup and a major construction boom on the horizon, Developers like 5m Construction's vice-president Larry Manalo are wondering what they're going to do to earn income after their ongoing projects are completed. He stated, "For the past I think two to three years, we did a lot of projects somewhere in central, most of them are central projects so we're looking at a lot of money that's going to be lost."

With projections that upgrades to GWA's troubled sewer system serving Central Guam will take 12-18 months once the agency finds $25 million for needed upgrades. Manalo says this may mean a one-way ticket home for some of his employees. "Maybe we have to send back those H-2 workers to the Philippines because they stay here and then they don't work so the only way we can do is to send them back," he said.

The moratorium is expected to result in the loss of millions of dollars in new development, not to mention the creation of hundreds possibly thousands of new jobs. But the bigger picture for GWA officials, Antrobus says, is public safety. "Our objective here is to prevent wastewater spills in these areas, our objective is not to put any type of restrictions on development," he continued. "This will not affect anyone that has already received an approval from GWA, so if you have a building permit in hand for a residence or for a larger project, those projects will move forward."

As for where GWA intends to obtain the $25 million necessary for the upgrades needed to lift the moratorium, officials say they will attempt to obtain a bond to finance the repairs. Unfortunately for ratepayers though, it also means yet another increase in future water bills come 2009.