ASPA awarded grant of $1.4 million to connect western district
villages to public water system
The American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) has been awarded a grant of $1.43 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to connect the outlying villages of Fagali’i, Malota, and Fagamalo to the public water system.
The completion of this federally-funded project will mean that all of Tutuila will be served with potable water supplied by ASPA.
Recognizing the need to expand its water system, this project has been a high priority target for ASPA. ASPA’s Planning and Special Projects team, headed by Andra Samoa, drafted the grant application that resulted in the award.
ASPA CEO Mike Keyser said: “Andra has been a driving force for chasing grant opportunities over the past year. This is just another feather in her cap.”
The project will enable ASPA to supply potable water to these villages, which have not yet met standards of the USEPA Safe Drinking Water Act. The total grant amount from USEPA for this project is approximately $1,434,500.
ASPA plans to connect Fagali’i to the central ASPA water system with the option of utilizing the existing Fagali’i well. A pipeline will be installed from Poloa to the proposed Fagali’i tank in order to integrate Fagali’i into the central system. Electro-mechanical equipment will be installed to the existing well in Fagali'i to act as an alternate source, and a tank will be constructed in Fagamalo. Pipelines will also be installed from Fagali'i to Malota and then to Fagamalo in order to connect the villages to the public water system.
ASPA engineers will soon start the land survey of the proposed tank site in Fagali’i. Once this and other project necessities are completed, the project will be put out for competitive bidding.
|
