Water outages are affecting villages across Guam following Typhoon Sinlaku, leaving residents without a basic necessity. In reponse, emergency water tanks have been deployed as restoration efforts continue.

At the Dededo Mayor’s Office, one tank is a lifeline for residents still without water after Sinlaku, as the Guam Waterworks Authority works continues their work to restore service islandwide. Among the challenges our community faces now that the typhoon has passed, loss of water is a major one.

From Yoña to Yigo, entire villages are grappling with outages, moving residents to line up at emergency water tanks set up by GWA. These water tanks and flextanks have been deployed to village centers, including mayors’ offices, churches, senior centers, schools and gyms – offering residents a temporary, but essential source of water.

This morning in Dededo, families waited in line for their turn to fill up. Machanao resident Mench says his home has been without water since Tuesday morning, just as Sinlaku passed Guam. “It was kind of hard," he admitted, "but I really appreciate the work that the mayor and Guam Waterworks are doing for the residents so we can survive this."

"We did prepare in advance, but we underestimated the amount of water we needed. So now, we’re out here to get water.”

For now, these tanks are their only option as they wait for full service to return. “To all the GWA crews out there, we know that you’re doing your best so, we wish you all good luck. Keep up the good work," Mench added.

And while many are grateful, some community members shared frustrations with the tanks – telling KUAM News that the current set up of just two faucets per tank slows the process of filling multiple families’ containers at once. They suggest GWA adds hose splitters with extension hoses to speed up the process.

Dededo Vice Mayor Ann San Agustin Leon Guerrero says this demand reflects just how widespread the outages are. Residents from Machananao, Ironwood, and even from Yigo have been coming by for water.

“I know GWA has been working really [diligently] on getting the water up and running. We know," the vice sayor said. "They’ve been through Mawar, they’re aware of the public’s situation. So, we just want to ask the public to be patient. GPA and GWA are really working hard to get us up and running.”

“We’re talking about the whole island. So, we have to be patient.”

She reassures the community that the Mayors Council of Guam as a whole remains in close contact with GWA and the Guam Power Authority as their crews work together to bring systems back online. “And they do tell us that they are working tirelessly to get the pumps up and running. Most of the time it's just the generator – you know, that’s how it runs. But we are kept well-informed," she said.

Now, more tankers and flextankers are being prepared for deployment to several areas:

- Astumbo Senior Center, Dededo
- Along Chalan Koda, Dededo
- Dededo Mayor’s Office
- Ironwood Subdivision, Dededo
- Maria Ulloa Elementary School, Dededo
- Mataguac, Yigo
- Chalan La Chance, Yigo
- Gayinero Road, Yigo
- Mangilao Church
- Open Field Adjacent to the Yona Carabao, Yona

This especially as the Joint Information Center issued a precautionary boil water notice on Thursday for residents who lost water for between 24 and 48 hours. Low system pressure increases the risk of bacterial contamination, either through runoff entering water sources or disruptions in treatment.

Samples are being taken throughout the entire water distribution system and will continue in areas as service is restored.

But until further notice, GWA urges affected residents to boil water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, and washing dishes.

With no clear timeline for full restoration, many residents remain in limbo – relying on temporary solutions to meet daily needs. Until the taps run again, these tanks are the difference between disruption and getting by.