CE Airmen deliver clean water to island community

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Nestor Cruz
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Three Airmen from the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron along with three Airmen from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, are deployed to an island approximately 3,900 kilometers southwest of Hawaii.

The Airmen are not on vacation, but are on a mission to provide clean drinking water to the residents of Roi-Namur. The island is the second largest and northernmost within the Kwajalein Atoll.

"Recent tidal wave conditions flooded the island and contaminated the lens wells here," said Tech. Sgt. Matthew Mattes, 18th CES utilities systems journeyman and team leader. 

Pacific Command dispatched the team after receiving a request from U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll leadership for reverse osmosis machines.

Sergeant Mattes' team arrived Feb. 3 with five machines and began processing water within 24 hours.

"Our job is to reduce the chloride level in the lens wells," said Sergeant Mattes.
He said the chloride level is currently 1,000 milligrams per liter, which violates U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards. Sergeant Mattes added the ideal level is 250 milligrams per liter.

The team works two six-hour shifts, pumping contaminated water from the lens wells to a raw water holding tank capable of holding 750,000 gallons. The water is then pumped into four of the five reverse osmosis machines (the fifth machine is kept in reserve) for cleaning.

"The machines are capable of removing almost 98 percent of particles, fine sediment and salt from the contaminated water," said Staff Sgt. Kevin McKee, 18th CES utilities systems journeyman.

Once the water goes through the reverse osmosis machines, the Airmen transport the water to the Roi Water Plant for further purification using chlorine and soda ash. The water is then pumped into two "clear water" tanks each with a 100,000 gallon capacity.

"The local community consumes approximately four to six thousand gallons daily," said Sergeant Mattes. "It's our goal to consistently provide clean water to the community and provide support to the contractors who support the Army."

Approximately 2.1 million gallons of safe water is available in storage which will supply the island for 77 days. The team's goal is to reach 2.6 million gallons or a 90-day supply. 

The Air Force team will remain on the island until the rainy season begins.

"We're hoping to leave in May if the rain comes in April," Sergeant Mattes said. "As the lens wells fill up with rain water, it will dilute the water and bring the chloride level to a point where reverse osmosis is no longer needed."

The last time sea water contaminated the lens wells it took two years for the wells to return to a usable state, he added.

Kwajalein is one of the world's largest coral atolls, composed of 97 islands, 11 of which are leased by the U.S. for use by U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll. USAKA is home to the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site and includes radar installations and communications equipment to support ballistic missile and missile-interceptor testing. The atoll also houses one of five ground stations that helps operate the Global Positioning System.