GEPA and GWA addressing expired well permits

August 23, 2019 – (Tiyan, Guam) – The Guam Environmental Protection Agency (Guam EPA) is in receipt of production well operating permit renewal applications from the Guam WaterWorks Authority (GWA). This morning, GWA submitted 94 renewal applications to Guam EPA. Agency records indicate 94 of the 120 GWA production wells are currently expired. All well owners and operators on Guam are required to possess a valid permit.

All 94 GWA production wells operating with expired permits are still inspected on an annual basis, and are still monitored to ensure safe consumption, in accordance with the Guam Water Resource Development and Operating Regulations and the Guam Safe Drinking Water Act. “Although well operating permits are valid for 5 years, inspections occur every year to ensure that wells are operating without any deficiencies, regardless of permit status” said Guam EPA Administrator, Walter S. Leon Guerrero. Leon Guerrero also added, “At this present time, agency inspection records do not indicate any deficiencies with any operational GWA production wells.”

Reminder notices via letters, emails and phone calls are typical in the permit renewal process, but are done so in as a matter of courtesy.

Guam EPA and GWA are working together towards a solution to prevent permit renewal statuses from being administratively overlooked again in the future, and to ensure all GWA production wells are properly permitted at all times.

Guam EPA is in the process of finalizing an online permit application portal. The agency’s standby generator permit portal was launched last year, and can be found by visiting www.permits.epa.guam.gov. All agency program permit applications will eventually be accessible on this portal.

“We are working closely with our technical contractor to complete the permit portal task so that we can provide a more modern and pleasant user experience in the permitting process to the regulated community,” said Leon Guerrero.