There are worries about the levels of contamination in American Samoa's water with the Governor calling for urgent assistance to remedy the situation.
Lolo Matalasi Moliga asked Congresswoman Aumua Amata Radewagen to help acquire federal assistance to replace the territory's water distribution system.
Lolo wrote to Aumua saying the system, specifically the portion constructed by the U.S. Navy, needed to be replaced because 60 percent of water is lost due to leakage.
Governor Lolo wants immediate action Photo: RNZI / Monica Miller
The governor first raised the issue with the congresswoman last year.
However Lolo said now the challenge went beyond water loss.
He said the lead content in the water due to the type of construction materials used was a concern.
The governor urged immediate action to "mitigate the severe health issues" because local efforts to eliminate contamination in water aquifers were unsuccessful.
He said the issues seemed to be a product of the pipes used when the U.S. Navy constructed the system nearly 100 years ago.
