After weeks of “non-detect” results for dieldrin in Yigo’s Well Y-15, how does the community feel about the cleanup process?  And what concerns still linger as GWA’s courtesy bottled water distribution winds down?

Wednesday marks the end of the Guam Waterworks Authority’s bottled water distribution for customers affected by dieldrin contamination in the Yigo/Santa rosa area. The conclusion of the service follows four consecutive weeks of “non-detect” results for dieldrin in Y-15—after the installation of an interim treatment system.

And while that’s a promising sign, residents say they’re still waiting for official confirmation that their water is safe to drink. GWA making a formal request last friday, asking the Guam Environmental Protection Agency to lift the “Do Not Drink Without Treatment” advisory.

Yigo Vice Mayor Pedro Blas says while he appreciates GWA’s progress, he believes the final decision should come with more assurances. “They’re going to end their water distribution today," said Blas. "And yes, they provided the test results to justify that, but one of the concerns is that the notice should be lifted before we just call it quits and say everything’s good. At the end of the day, the EPA has to be involved in this process to see whether or not we’re safe.”

Blas adding, he’s glad the cleanup effort appears successful and looks forward to the installation of a permanent treatment system. And while many residents share that same relief, they continue to seek accountability and long-term support.

“One of the biggest things that they’re still worried about is that when the data came out, and they found out that dieldrin has been in the well since 2012, a lot of them are demanding now for cancer screenings or any medical outreach that can relate to finding whether or not dieldrin has caused certain sicknesses or can cause long term sicknesses or illnesses within the community who has been consuming the water," he added.

Blas is now calling for greater transparency moving forward—not just for yigo residents, but for the entire island, adding,  “Hopefully moving forward, the message is given to our people sooner than we had to see.”

In the meantime, an oversight hearing on dieldrin contamination is expected to pick back up sometime in December.