It is hereby declared to be the policy of the government of Guam, in recognition of its duty to conserve and control its water resources for the benefit of the inhabitants of Guam, that all of the water resources of Guam are the property of the people of Guam, that the general welfare requires that said water resources be put to beneficial use to the fullest extent of which they are capable, that the waste or unreasonable use or unreasonable method of diversion or extraction of water be prevented, and that the conservation of such waters is to be exercised with a view to the reasonable and beneficial use thereof in the interest of the people of Guam and for the public welfare. It is further declared that an emergency condition exists with respect to the availability of surface and underground water on Guam and that restrictions are necessary to prevent over pumping of water, the intrusion of salt water, sewage and other contaminants and the resulting permanent destruction of the utility of underground water reservoirs and sources of potable water supply. The right to water or the use of water from any surface or underground supply shall not exceed that which is reasonably required to meet the needs of public and private lands of Guam, consistent

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10 Guam Code Ann. HEALTH AND SAFETY
CH. 46 WATER RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT

with the purposes for which such lands are or may be adaptable, subject only to reasonable laws and regulations as may be provided herein or hereinafter to preserve and protect the integrity of such underground water supplies. It is therefore further declared that the people of Guam have a primary interest in the location, construction, maintenance, operation, modification, abandonment and destruction of water wells by virtue of the impact of such activities on the quality, purity and integrity of underground waters.