No shortage of water in Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines - There is no shortage of water in Cebu City, Mayor Tomas Osmeña insists.

“There is water. It’s just a matter of distributing it,” he said.

Following reports of drought brought about by the moderate El Niño phenomenon being felt already in Cebu City, Osmeña said that it should not be a source of panic because the city government is not mainly dependent on surface water but on deep wells.

“You know, we do not get our water from rivers. We get it from deep wells. I don’t think there is a need. The only source of surface water that we get is from Buhisan,” Osmeña said.

The mayor said that there are even several deep wells in the South Road Properties not being used because no locator needs them yet.

“Even in the SRP, we have seven wells there that have not been used. And our desalination machine has not been used. We have many source of water that have not been utilized,” Osmeña said.

He said that the impact of El Niño will be felt more by farmers. “But Cebu City is not a farm. So only some areas in the mountain barangays will be affected by the drought.”

“I do not expect a major problem as far as the city is concerned. We should look into it but I’m not going to hit the panic button,” he said.

The city government, he said, has pending orders for the distribution of pipes, pumps and containers among others for mountain barangays that have no source of water.

“We can supply them with the pumps, whatever, if they request,” the mayor said.

He said that the city has also identified many well sites that have not been drilled which he will follow up with the council if ever the need to create more wells arises.

Aside from the wells, Osmeña added that the city can use the desalination machine to convert salt water to fresh water and distribute it in the city.

“Because desalination has gone down tremendously, we can even produce fresh water and sell it at MCWD rates. Right now, our capacity is to produce 500 cubic meters (500,000 liters).”

He said it can be upgraded to 1,000 cubic meters produce everyday at a minor cost if they are only to convert water from the SRP’s Pond A where water is only 50 percent salt water.

Pond A is the catchbasin for the entire SRP, Osmeña said. “That’s why you notice in Pond A, we do not use fertilizer in Bermuda grasses. And that’s why they don’t allow any animal to come in, we don’t allow houses there. Because it’s a catchbasin, we do not want to contaminate it,” he said.

If ever, the city can use the water from Pond A to produce fresh water and mitigate El Niño effects.

Osmeña said that the problem now will be in some areas with no water like in Busay which is a mountain barangay.

But he said that the city is not responsible to provide them with water everyday. “It’s very expensive. Why did you go to a place when there is no water and then I have to provide you with water? That is not fair.”

“Mubalhin sila sa lugar na naa’y tubig. Sama sa Busay ba, kuwang ang tubig sa Busay pero nindot ang lugar, nindot ang view. Adto sila didto pagkahuman musyagit sila, Mayor, tagai ko’g tubig be. Nganong muhatag ko’g tubig? Naog ka, na’y tubig diri sa ubos, diba?” Osmeña said. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/BRP    (FREEMAN NEWS)