The proposed ordinance on sustainable ground water utilization seeks to limit the operation of water wells only in areas where surface water is not provided by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) or its concessionaires.
In areas with regular water interruptions, wells maybe allowed as a backup source of water.
Councilors Ariel and Jorge Banal Jr., main authors of the proposed measure, said regulation is vital in ensuring the sustainable supply of potable water in city households, business establishments and in the effort to protect the environment against the decline of in land surface elevation and water source contamination.
Under the proposed ordinance, owners and operators of wells who fail to secure the necessary water permit issued by the National Water Resource Board (NWRB) and the sanitary and plumbing permit at City Hall shall be penalized with a fine of P5,000 or imprisonment of three months or both at the discretion of the court.
The measure was proposed after experts revealed that unabated withdrawal of ground water could be the principal factor in the rapid sinking of Metro Manila.
Under the Local Government Code, local government units have the authority to protect the purity and quantity of the water supply and regulate its consumption against the unregulated extraction of ground water, which not only dries up scarce water sources, but also endangers the environment.