| Project Scope:
The American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA),
a quasi-public utility agency, is responsible for the
management, operation, and maintenance of American Samoa’s
water, wastewater, power and solid waste systems. In order to
secure U.S. funds for various water system improvements, the
ASPA Water Division is required to periodically prepare a water
facilities plan for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA),
Region 9. In view of PPC’s extensive experience in American
Samoa, PPC was retained to prepare a water facilities plan for
the 2001-2015 period.
The proposed water facilities
plan program included 14 water system projects. New
transmission line, water storage, and distribution system
projects were identified for the extension of the primary water
system to several villages relying on surface water systems for
their potable water supply. The development of new satellite
water systems was recommended for the remote village of Afono
since connection to the primary system was not feasible.
Proposed groundwater well development projects were also
identified for the Island of Tau where salt-water intrusion had
impacted the quality of existing groundwater well supplies.
System management projects reflected ASPA’s desire:
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to perform periodic hydraulic
modeling of its primary water system.
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the application of SCADA systems
to monitor wells, storage tanks, and transmission systems.
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to establish operation and
maintenance program for new water treatment plants.
The plan evaluates natural
resources, resident population trends, and relevant economic
trends. Primary drinking water issues that were examined by
PPC included the growth in water demands on the Island of
Tutuila, sustainable production yields from Tutuila’s basal
aquifer, the hydraulic capacity of the primary water system, the
growing concentration of land uses in the Tualauta County, the
impact of soil-based wastewater treatment upon groundwater
resources, insufficient water consumption revenues to support
future O/M and capital costs, and governmental regulations
impacting the cost of Water Division operations.
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