Airmen provide island residents with drinkable water

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Cohen A. Young
  • Defense Media Activity-Hawaii
ROI-NAMUR, Marshall Islands (AFNS) --  Six Airmen from Pacific Air Forces units arrived here Feb. 4 to cure the island's contaminated water supply ruined due to unusually high tides and have treated more than 1,840,000 gallons of water for residents here. 

Unusual weather around the Pacific region caused six irregular high tides to flow across Roi-Namur and into the island water supply, said Greg Heffner, the water plant operator. 

The island gets the majority of its water from lens wells that recover rain water that Mr. Heffner and his team treat daily.

Three Airmen from the 354th Civil Engineering Squadron from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and three from the 18th Civil Engineering Squadron from Kadena Air Base, Japan, arrived with water treatment equipment to stabilize the water supply of the island. Since their arrival, the six people have used their reverse osmosis water purification unit to convert non-potable water into drinkable water. The Airmen have been working around the clock since their arrival with Mr. Heffner.

Mr. Heffner, a former Airman himself, said that it was great working with the Airmen.

"Together we've treated more than 40,000 gallons daily and they have exceeded expectations," he said.

The treated water isn't used just for drinking; it also enables the proper cleaning of the satellites on the island and keeps them from rusting. Roi-Namur and several other islands in this region are part of the Reagan Test Site, which is vital to the U.S. space program. The test site works directly with Vandenberg AFB, Calif., and other rocket launch sites in the monitoring of much of the world's security.

"The people here need the treated water for corrosion control," said Staff Sgt. Heath Willis, a native of Kenai, Alaska, from the 354th CES.

"We've done a good thing here," said Staff Sgt. Steven Kivetta, a native of North Pole, Alaska, with the 354th CES. "I think with our help, they have been able to conduct their day-to-day business."

The Airmen have been working 10 to 12 hours a day treating the water by running the water from the lens wells to their reverse osmosis water purification unit to the water bladders and back through the reverse osmosis water purification unit in which they use sodium hex as a polymer that combines all chemicals in the water into one piece which is caught in the filters. This clears the water of harmful chemicals.

These Airmen enabled the mission of the Reagan Test Site to go on in ensuring stability of the region as well as the world by treating the island's contaminated water.

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