City Hall eyes repurposing wastewater amid El Niño

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City government is looking at putting wastewater from refilling stations and other suppliers to good use amid the intensifying El Niño.

In line with this, Mayor Nestor Archival is expected to issue an executive order this week creating a task force to oversee the initiative.

The plan was first raised during the El Niño Summit 2026, held on September 8 at Cebu Business Hotel, which gathered barangay captains, city departments, water agencies, and the academe to craft a unified response to the looming drought.

The summit itself was convened to strengthen preparedness and ensure that Cebu City has alternative water sources as the Metro Cebu Water District braces for a supply deficit. Among those invited were owners of refilling stations in the city.

During the summit, Kenneth Siasar, Chief of Staff of Archival, echoed that one refilling station disclosed that it produces hundreds of gallons of wastewater every day.

“Atong sad gi-apil sa maong summit ang mga water suppliers, kani mga refilling station. Gani, usa ka refilling station meingon nga everyday mulabay sa 250 ka gallons of water. Although dili mainom, dili mabubo, pero magamit sa pagpanganaug [pagpanghugas],” Siasar noted.

Siasar added that while this water cannot be consumed, it can still be repurposed for cleaning and sanitation.

He added that the mayor is expected to issue an executive order within the week to formalize the creation of a task force.

“I think today or this week mupahanaug ang mayor ug kanang executive order. Nga duna tay task force nga pagkahimo-on... Aron nga mu-monitor ug ani,” he explained.

The task force will be tasked with gathering and collecting wastewater from refilling stations and other suppliers and storing it in tanks for use during shortages and fire emergencies.

Siasar further clarified that guidelines will be issued once the executive order is released.

“Once mugawas ang EO, among ipahibalo sa publiko unsay paggahimo-on, unsay guidelines. Kay ang ubang mga barangays na-a raman mga tankers,” he said, pointing out that barangays with existing tankers could benefit from the alternative supply without drawing from MCWD’s limited reserves.

The summit also featured technical briefings from PAGASA and the University of San Carlos Water Resources Center, which warned that El Niño could persist into early 2027, bringing below-normal rainfall and hotter conditions. Past episodes, including those in 1997–1998 and 2015–2016, triggered severe droughts, crop losses, and water rationing, underscoring the urgency of Cebu’s preparations.

Water refilling stations have already become crucial in supplementing household and institutional needs in Cebu City.

Some suppliers report dispensing hundreds of gallons daily, with purified water delivered to hospitals, schools, and communities. — (IHM) (FREEMAN)