JIC Release No. 29 - Boil Water Notice; Water Conservation - GHS OCD

Guam is in COR 1 - Remain indoors

The Guam Waterworks Authority (GWA) is advising customers to conserve water and has issued a boil water notice due to possible bacterial contamination in the water that can occur when increased run-off enters a drinking water source following heavy rains. GWA will perform assessments of its water system to be within acceptable levels as soon as possible.

Boil Water Notice Tips:

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST.
Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for three (3) minutes, and let it cool before using or use bottled water.
Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice.
Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

Villages are experiencing water outages and crews are working to restore service at this time. The following areas of the island that are affected include Tamuning, Nimitz Hill, Hågat, Santa Rita, Yona, Talo’fo’fo, Ipan and Malojloj.

Water Conservation Notice:
GWA is asking that customers in the southern region of the island from Ipan to Humåtak conserve water due to high turbidity in the Ugum river. For information, contact GWA’s 24/7 phone line at (671)646-4211 or visit facebook.com/guamwaterworksauthority.

Visit the following links for the latest advisory information:

NWS Website: https://www.weather.gov/gum/
NWS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NWSGuam/
GHS/OCD Website: https://ghs.guam.gov/
GHS/OCD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHSOCD/
JRM Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jrmguam

For more information, contact the Joint Information Center at (671) 478-0208/09/10.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.

JIC Release No. 29 - Boil Water Notice; Water Conservation