Mietus: JRM water safe to drink; trace amounts of dieldrin in Camp Blaz water
BY SKYLER OBISPO
Journal Staff
Joint Region Marianas issued a statement on social media on Oct. 8 by its commander Rear Adm. Brett Mietus, stating that lab results for all active military wells and surface water sources on Guam military installations were below Guam Environmental Protection Agency’s Interim Action Level for dieldrin of 0.2 µg/L (parts per billion/ppb).
Mietus said for that reason all water produced on JRM installations is safe to drink.
Mietus spoke to the Guam Chamber of Commerce’s membership on Sept. 23 at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa. Photo by Skyler Obispo
JRM manages 19 active water wells and three surface water sources. The rear admiral said based on the existing system architecture, it required nine tests.
Of those tests, seven resulted in a “non-detect,” meaning no dieldrin was detected.
However, two tests came back with detectable levels of the insecticide but at 10 times less than the Guam EPA IAL.
Mietus said that the tests corresponded with two wells located on Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, but he indicated that the water from these wells were safe to drink.
The two wells primarily serve MCBCB, but are connected to the greater Guam water system. The water from those wells are mixed with five “non-detect” wells and water from the Guam Waterworks Authority before being added into the broader water distribution system.
Mietus said as a result, the water leaving the base is diluted even further below the IAL for dieldrin.
JRM will continue to send quarterly water sample results to GEPA and will advise the public if levels rise above the IAL, he said.
In addition, a complete water quality data for 2025 will be included in the annual Water System Water Quality Report, which will be published in July 2026.
More testing data will be released following the continuation of regular government operations, he said.
On Sept. 12, GWA notified 1,112 customers in Yigo that their water exceeded the IAL level for dieldrin, prompting a state of emergency declaration by then acting governor Joshua F. Tenorio, which made available $250,000 for GWA to procure equipment to filter out contaminated water at its northern water wells.
GWA’s Y-15 waterwell in Yigo is the only well that currently exceeds the IAL for dieldrin according to GEPA. The agency reported that Dededo’s D17 well also tested dieldrin levels above the IAL, but said that it poses no immediate risk as it is offline and not distributing water. mbj
Following the resignation of Chita A. Blaise, CEO of the American Red Cross in Guam, the organization is now seeking an executive director for the Guam Chapter.
