Mayor eyes equipment to process Pond A water

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival is considering the purchase of a machine that can process brackish water from Pond A at the South Road Properties (SRP), saying the city must act before the forecasted Super El Niño next year.

Archival said he has already tasked the disaster team to study the acquisition, which would allow the city to use Pond A’s brackish water for firefighting, irrigation, and sanitation instead of relying on potable supplies.

“Kita sa siyudad dako kaayo ta’g kuha kada adlaw. If we have that machine, mapalit na nato before El Niño Super in the next year, dili na ta mukuha og mga supply para sa sunog dito sa atong fire hydrant because ang atong fire hydrant baya, that’s drinkable,” he said.

Archival stressed that potable water should not be wasted on firefighting.

“Maoy gi-pasirit, well of course para na sa sunog, which is natural man na nga need nimo. But if you have a source which is not necessarily potable nga magamit nimo pag-bisbis sa tanom, unya gamiton nato para sa firefighting, dako kay na siya og tabang,” he said.

Pond A is a wetland within the SRP that has been identified by the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office as containing brackish water.

A 2025 water quality assessment found it met standards for nine out of 11 parameters, though chemical oxygen demand and ammonia exceeded limits for navigable water.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources defines brackish water as having salinity between 0.5 and 30 parts per thousand (ppt). It is a mixture of seawater and freshwater commonly found in estuaries and coastal ponds.

While unsuitable for drinking without treatment, it can be processed for irrigation, sanitation, and industrial use.

According to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), a very strong El Niño is developing and expected to persist into mid-2027, bringing prolonged dry spells, rainfall deficits, and water supply stress across the country.

The agency has warned of impacts on agriculture, energy, and public health, describing the event as potentially one of the most severe on record. — /MRM (FREEMAN)