23 Aug 2010

Work being done in American Samoa to rectify water quality issue

11:36 am on 23 August 2010

The American Samoa Power Authority is working on rectifying a water quality issue after testing found some of its wells were contaminated with E-coli bacteria.

The Authority issued a boil water notice three weeks ago and this week a message was sent to parents to supply bottled water to their children attending schools in villages from Iliili to Leloloa.

The Authority's Water Manager, Taylor Savusa, says work is being done to eliminate piggeries and other potential threats near the territory's water sources.

"E-coli is derived from the track of warm blooded animals, which are humans and then dogs, pigs. And their waste is laid on the land and when rain comes, all the germs get taken down with the water and gets contaminated. And this water seeps through the ground and it gets into our drinking water and this is where we pump the source up."

Taylor Savusa says the authority is also helping people to tap into the sewerage system to dispose of their waste and installing septic tanks where needed.