Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — ASPA is maintaining its boil water notice for residents living in the areas served by the Nu'uuli Water Filtration Plant. It is crucial to continue boiling water before consumption, ASPA warned, saying the advisory is essential for preventing potential health risks associated with the violation.

Residents who are particularly vulnerable — such as individuals with severely compromised immune systems, pregnant women, infants, or the elderly — may face heightened health risks. ASPA strongly advises those in these categories to consult their healthcare providers regarding the safety of consuming the water.

ASPA also noted that this situation, while serious, is not classified as an emergency. If it were an emergency, affected customers would have been notified within 24 hours of the occurrence. 

Turbidity itself does not pose an immediate health risk; however, it can complicate disinfection efforts and foster microbial growth. Elevated turbidity levels may suggest the presence of harmful organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which could lead to adverse health effects such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and headaches. Since these symptoms can also arise from other causes, we encourage anyone experiencing persistent symptoms to seek medical attention.

ASPA is actively collaborating with the U.S. EPA and AS-EPA to address the treatment technique violations, and is currently implementing a series of corrective actions mandated by an Administrative Order on Consent issued by the U.S. EPA to improve treatment performance. The goal is to restore compliance with drinking water requirements and ensure ASPA processes consistently provide safe, reliable drinking water to the community.

The American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) has issued an important public notice about specific sections of the Central ASG Water System that do not meet federal drinking water treatment standards. This situation is significant as it affects the quality of water supplied to residents served by this system.

ASPAʻs water system currently violates federally mandated treatment requirements. While ASPA has indicated that this situation does not represent an emergency, customers must understand the implications of these violations, what they should do to ensure their safety, and the proactive steps we are taking to correct the problem. A “treatment technique” includes the protocols a water system must follow to consistently deliver safe drinking water.

ASPA operates ten distinct water systems, including the Central Water System, a vast interconnected network that sources water from a combination of groundwater wells and surface water resources. The Central Water System includes essential components such as the Nu'uuli Water Filtration Plant, several water storage tanks, and an extensive pipe network that collectively serves communities from Fagamalo to Onenoa. 

Notably, the Central Water System does not serve the villages of Fagasa, Vatia, Afono, Masefau, Masausi, Sa'ilele, or Aoa.

The current violations are specifically associated with the NU'UULI WATER FILTRATION PLANT, which supplies water from A&E restaurant eastward along the ocean side to Pago Pago, as well as all areas in between. The plant uses filtration and disinfection to treat water sourced from wells that can be significantly affected by nearby surface water.

However, ASPA has struggled to demonstrate to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (AS-EPA) that its treatment procedures can reliably protect against harmful microorganisms, as required by federal regulations. This inability to meet regulatory standards further emphasizes the urgency of addressing the situation.

To ensure water safety, routine monitoring of water turbidity — an indicator of cloudiness — has been conducted. Turbidity levels are crucial because they reflect the effectiveness of the filtration system. 

In July 2026, water-sample testing revealed alarming results: 100 percent of turbidity measurements exceeded 1.0 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Unit), sharply contrasting with the established standard that permits only 5 percent of samples to exceed this level in a given month. Weather changes and rainfall patterns have complicated the treatment of water entering the Nu'uuli Water Filtration Plant, further worsening the current issues.