Bulacan villages run out of water

MALOLOS CITY, Philippines – A number of barangays in Bulacan have run out of water.

Engineer Elmer Magaling of the Malolos City Water District (MCWD) said depleted groundwater caused the water shortage.

The situation started two weeks ago, he added.

Trucks are distributing water to areas suffering acute water shortage, Magaling said.

Local officials have called for inter-local government intervention to address the increasing shortage of groundwater in the province.

Malolos Mayor Christian Natividad said the situation was foreseen as early as the 1990s after the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) and the World Bank conducted a study on groundwater in Central Luzon.

“That is the reason why we pushed the Bulacan Bulk Water Supply Project in 2007, but it didn’t materialize due to legal concerns,” he said.

Bulacan and Pampanga would also suffer water shortage due to over extraction of groundwater aggravated by increasing population, the study said.

Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Alvarado said that they are reviewing proposals for the bulk water project.

“We are negotiating on the rates because we want lower rate for Bulacan compared to Metro Manila and Rizal,” he said.

Natividad favors deeper drilling of groundwater as MCWD has proposed.

“Groundwater is a natural resource, we can’t repair and abuse it, otherwise, we will be courting disaster,” he said.

Meanwhile, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson said they would consider proposals of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to filter water in Angat River and drain it to Manila Bay.

NIA administrator Antonio Nangel said over 80 percent of water in Angat River is wasted and causes floods during the rainy season.

He proposed the establishment of a series of filtration plants along Angat River to make use of the water.

In Barangay San Pablo, Andrea Cruz and Isabelita Caparas said they only get water service late at night.

Eduardo Camua of the same barangay said they have repeatedly sent complaints to the MCWD.

“We have been calling them, but there was no clear action and explanation,” he said.

In Barangay Bagna, Romeo Ramos has to travel 30 minutes just to take a bath every morning in his son’s house in Barangay Bulihan.

Bagna and other barangays like Panasahan and Atlag are suffering from water shortage and saline water intrusion, Ramos said.