In April 2016, Water. Desalination + reuse (Faversham House) reported, citing the Saipan Tribune, that the Northern Marianas, a US commonwealth, were weighing desalination to tackle a severe water shortage. Governor Ralph Torres aimed for drinking water around the clock and saw reverse osmosis as an option. Early studies put the investment at no less than US$ 44 million. The network suffered heavy leakage and illegal connections. After typhoon Soudelor in August 2015, US military mobile reverse osmosis units had treated lagoon water on Saipan.
The report showed a small island network with high losses weighing desalination as a way out. The plan was then at the stage of intentions and first cost estimates, after earlier attempts since 2000 had failed.