Water in 7 Northern Marianas villages not potable

5:58 pm on 20 June 2017

Just days after defending the quality of tap water in the Northern Marianas, the local utility, the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, now says residents in seven villages on Saipan should not drink it.

This comes after the utility detected levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, in the reticulated water system.

PFOS is a man-made substance historically used in firefighting foam and other commercial goods.

The detected levels of PFOS exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion.

The utility said residents should not drink the tap water, cook with it or make ice for consumption from it.