by Mindy Aguon

Guam - Senators who attended today's Fena tour were glad to see how the Navy operates and maintains the facilities. Military buildup chairperson Senator Judi Guthertz says it's evident that the Guam Waterworks Authority cannot take over operating Fena until the agency is truly able to manage the facilities.

"It's gigantic," she told KUAM News. "It is very large; environmentally, it's quite obvious to me they're ensuring that the environment up there is protected and not abused, so that was also valuable for me to see."

Utilities oversight chair Senator Tom Ada said the tour also helped him understand that turning over Fena is much more complicated than the previous transfer of power assets to the government. "I got a better sense that there's no improvement in the working relationship between the two water producers - the Navy and GWA - and they are working collaboratively, unlike in the past."

Ada also said, "What's important is that we maintain that collaborative working relationship and that each other knows what the needs are and how we can continue to meet the water demands of the entire island."