To address salt water intrusion: MCWD urges monitoring of private well operation

Alarmed over the worsening saltwater intrusion in underground aquifers, officials of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District called on the National Water Resource Board and the local government units to strictly monitor the operation of private wells.

MCWD Board chairman Juan Saul Montecillo said that although NWRB regulates private wells, many of them are still operating without permits.

He said that 50 percent of the water supplied to the consumers in Metro Cebu is underground water extracted by MCWD, while another 50 percent is extracted by private wells.

As early as the 80s, Montecillo explained that there is already threat to saltwater intrusion in Metro Cebu and it is worsening because of the lack of control over groundwater extraction. According to him, saltwater intrusion has now gone as far as four kilometers inward the Guadalupe area and two kilometers inward Liloan town.

"The NWRB controls extraction of groundwater and operation of private wells, but many are still operating without permits," Montecillo said, adding that the reason for this is that NWRB has no police powers to apprehend those that have no permits.

Likewise, he added that MCWD has no regulatory function to help control proliferation of private wells.

At present, Montecillo said that NWRB and MCWD are discussing how they could add teeth to the implementation of regulations concerning groundwater extraction.

He also reminded local government officials that they have more power in regulating operation of private wells in their locality.

Earlier, Montecillo said that due to the depleting groundwater supply, MCWD is implementing self-moratorium on extraction of groundwater, adding that they could no longer extract water from the ground because they are already getting 80 percent of their supply underground.

To solve the problem, on saltwater intrusion and improve their water supply, MCWD general manager Armando Paredes said that they are looking for alternative sources like developing surface water. He said that the biggest project that they have entered into is the P2-billion Carmen Bulk Water Supply project, which is expected to augment the water supply of MCWD by 26 percent.

Last Wednesday, MCWD and Ayala consortium signed a memorandum of agreement on the terms and conditions of the project.

MCWD officials said that the P2-billion project is the long-term solution to the problem on lack of water in Metro Cebu, as it will address the increasing needs of its 1.5 million concessionaires. Under the agreement, Carmen Bulk Water will deliver up to 46,000 cubic meters of potable water to MCWD under a 40-year build-own-operate-transfer arrangement. Water that would be supplied to MCWD would be drawn from Luyang River.

Another project that the water district is considering is the proposal of the Aqua Atlas to supply water to MCWD from Malubog Lake.

With this, Paredes said that groundwater sources would be preserved and will only serve as backup during dry months. - Wenna A. Berondo