A state of emergency has officially been declared after two water wells tested positive for contamination. Over 1,000 families in Yigo have been told not to drink their tap water –  after test results revealed dangerous levels of a banned pesticide.

A pair of wells serving residents in Guam's northernmost municipality have been flagged for contamination, setting off alarm bells across the island. Water samples taken as far back as December 2024 and through July of this year showed levels of dieldrin above Guam Environmental Protection Agency’s new interim action limits, which went into effect on August 1.

But it wasn’t until September 12 – more than a month later – that over 1,000 customers in Yigo were officially notified.

Dieldrin is a banned, highly toxic pesticide that persists in the environment for decades. Once used in farming and termite control, it is dangerous when consumed through water or food, and long-term exposure is linked to liver damage, neurological problems, reproductive harm, and cancer.

“Like you, I am alarmed by the information we know," commented Joshua Tenorio, Guam's acting governor. "And even more alarmed by what we don’t know, including the source of this contamination.” He says after getting the latest updates directly from the Guam Waterworks Authority and Guam EPA, there was no time to waste.

“I have signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency that will get them across the finish line quicker," he confirmed.

Under local law, an emergency declaration unlocks $250,000 in immediate funds for response. That money can be spent without the usual red tape – to get safe drinking water back to affected homes. Tenorio said, "With this, GWA has the resources to act quickly to get safe drinking water to affected families. It enables GWA to immediately procure filters and other supplies, like point-of-entry systems that can filter water before it even reaches the taps in our homes.”

The order also comes with a demand for transparency.  Tenorio is requiring GWA and Guam EPA to test the affected wells on a monthly basis, to publicly report the results of those tests, and to set up hotlines to answer residents’ questions. The acting governor has also reached out to the US Environmental Protection Agency and local military commands to “augment efforts with federally-controlled supplies and equipment”.

“We are here to ensure that GWA and Guam EPA finish this critical effort and stand ready to make their jobs easier and get results faster. This Executive Order was drafted with the cooperation of GWA, Guam EPA, and in consultation with the Yigo Mayor Frances Lizama, a process that took some time to get finalized, but was needed to ensure we weren’t burdening agencies with impossible mandates and that it would complement, not compete, with their ongoing response efforts," Tenorio asserted.

He additionally stressed that protecting the island’s drinking water should be a cause that concerns our entire community. “All of us in Guam must be concerned with the safety of our drinking water across the island, including these two wells that serve Yigo," he noted.

"We must remember that water is life. This sustaining resource must be cherished. It must be protected. It cannot be taken for granted. It is our collective responsibility to protect it and to act whenever its safety is threatened.”

And in the latest update from Adelup this afternoon: officials clarified that only one well in Yigo – Y-15 – is impacted.  The second well, D-17 in Dededo, has already been taken offline.

For now, families in Northern Guam are relying on bottled water, while officials work urgently to decontaminate the system and restore safe service.