The local public water responsibility predecessor for PUAG originated June 30, 1950 when the Congress of Guam Passed Public Law 1-12, which gave the Department of Public Works the authority to administer all utility services. In response to increased water demand and a need to expand utility services, the 1st Guam Legislature passed Public Law 1-88 on June 6, 1952 that created a new entity called the Public Utility Agency of Guam. PUAG consisted of the telephone, power, water and wastewater utilities.

On July 31, 1996, Public law 23-119 established the Guam Waterworks Authority to be a semi autonomous, self-supporting agency. GWA officially obtained its status on February 1, 1997.

Public law 26-76 changed the way the Guam Waterworks Authority is managed by creating an elected, non-partisan Consolidated Commission on Utilities(CCU) to oversee the operations of GWA and GPA. The five-member commission assumed policy responsibility of the two utilities from the Guam Legislature. The CCU was sworn into office on January 3, 2003 and was faced with more than $25 million in debt and pending federal court lawsuits for numerous violations to the water and wastewater systems over the last few decades.

In the year 2014, GWA has a customer base of more than 41,000 for water and more than 25,000 for wastewater.

DPW/PUAG/GWA TIMELINE
1950-1969

1950: On June 30, Public Law 1-12 had the water/sewer utilities under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works.

1952: On June 6, the First Guam Legislature forms the Public Utility Agency of Guam, combining power, water and telephone into one agency…Agency delivers 250,000 gallons per day to its customers.

1953: Agana and Agat are the two villages that have sewer systems…Complete separation from DPW in October.

1954: A monthly meter-reading service is established…4964 water customers.

1956: PUAG (tri-agency) has 169 employees.

1957: 75 percent of civilian communities have water service…Replacement of wartime steel waterlines is ongoing.

1958: Daily average consumption is 2.24 MGD.

1962: The lack of public sewer and central sewer disposal system remains the island’s most serious health problem; the long-term solution is islandwide sewer and treatment plants.

1964: PUAG purchases approximately 82 percent of the water from the U.S. Navy and Air Force…One water source PUAG is looking at is Agana Springs…8306 water customers
.

1965: New wells in operation Dededo, Malojloj, Ordot and Adacao…Total revenue: $681,210.56.

1967: New central sewer system is completed late in the year; areas feeding the new system are Agana, Agana Heights, Tamuning and Naval Air Station…The power authority separates itself from PUAG on March 15.

1968: Consumption of water estimated at seven (7) MGD…21 deep wells are in operation…Dededo sewer lines are ready to be connected to the central sewer system…A fee schedule for the use of the sewer system is initiated on April 1.

1969: Water rates increase from $0.50 to $0.65 per thousand gallons…Asan and Piti link into central sewer system.

 

DPW/PUAG/GWA TIMELINE
1970-1989

1972: Agat Sewer Treatment Plant is being built and studies are being done on the proposed Agana Treatment Plant.

1974: Mangilao sewer link gets underway and the designs of sewer facilities in the south are in progress…Telephone division no longer a part of PUAG.

1976: Agana and Northern District Sewer Treatment Plants are under construction…664 tie-ins into the sewer system are completed, bringing the total to 9068 sewer customers.

1977: PUAG’s processing requirements is converted to the Department of Administration Computer Center.

1979: New PUAG administration building is opened in Upper Tumon.

1980: Emergency generators are purchased for 18 deep wells. This should lessen water outages when the island power system is interrupted.

1984: Construction of the Inarajan sewer collection system and treatment plant begins in November at a cost of $2.5 million.

1985: PUAG officials testify at the Legislature for their $18.3 million budget request.

1987: Well Y-9 is turned on; at the time, it is the highest producing well at 500 gpm.