MCWD: Water supply "near normal"

CEBU, Philippines - The public may now heave a sigh of relief, as the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) announced that the supply of water is almost normal now.

Although the supply is “not yet good for a full capacity operation,” Henry Mejor, MCWD division manager for production, revealed that MCWD produced 170,000 cubic meters water per day this month. Their target is 174,000 cubic meters per day.

Mejor explained that only eight of the 15 water pumps in Jaclupan are operational. Another factor is the fact that the Buhisan dam, which used to have a storage volume of 186,000 cubic meters of water daily, has now a zero volume due to siltation in the past few months.

Mejor assured that the MCWD is now its final stage of clean-up and hopefully by next week, the dam will be operational.

MCWD general manager Armando Paredes said that MCWD continues to source its water supply from private companies in its bid to improve their water service to an increasing number of customers.

MCWD currently has over 128,000 customers, both residential and industrial.

Mejor admitted that within their franchise area, only about 50 percent are being served with water.

This does not mean, however, that the remaining 50 percent have no water at all. Paredes said that this group has their own water source such as private wells.

“We recognize that there is really a lack of supply but we never stopped sourcing water,” Paredes said.

MCWD is also inviting joint venture agreements with private firms.

Paredes that they have eleven injection points (seven areas in Cebu City, two in Mactan and two in Mandaue), wherein private firms can supply water to the so-called “thirsty areas”.

If the 11 injection points will be operational, it can draw up about 40,000 cubic meters daily. — THE FREEMAN