MCWD to consumers: Conserve water
A security guard of MCWD walks on the parched earth inside the Buhisan Dam while the El Nino spell intensifies in this April 2016 photo. | CDN File photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines –The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) said that water supply is expected to drop due to the excessive heat that we are experiencing and the El Niño that is expected to affect Cebu and the rest of the country during the second half of the year.
In order to reduce discomforts that may result from limited water supply, MCWD is urging its consumers to start to conserve water this early.
“As temperatures rise, water usage tends to increase, putting a strain on our limited water resources. We strongly encourage our customers to take steps to conserve water, such as fixing leaks, not leaving the water running while brushing or shaving, recycling water used in laundry to clean the house or garage, or simply being mindful of their water usage,” the water district said in a statement that was released on Tuesday, April 4.
In a phone interview, Minerva Gerodias, MCWD’s spokesperson, said that their water production remains at a normal level for now. She said that all of their major water sources or their underground water sources, are not yet affected by the absence of rains in the past weeks.
“Most of our sources gud underground, so for now, atong surface water sources, which is the Buhisan dam and Jaclupan wellfields, kay open water sources man siya, mao ray naay slight nga decrease but in totality kay normal pa man atong supply,” she told reporters.
Their Jaclupan wellfields produces 30,000 cubic meters of water per day while the Buhisan Dam produces an average of 5,000 cubic meters daily.
However, Gerodias admitted that they are now beginning to notice a drop in the production at their Jaclupan wellfield. Recently the wellfield is only able to produce 25, 000 cubic meters of water per day.
Daily production at the Buhisan dam has also dropped to 3, 500 cubic meters per day.
Gerodias said that in 2016, when the country was badly hit by the El Niño spell, the Buhisan dam was only able to produce 2,500 cubic meters of water daily, while the Jaclupan wellfield produced 6,000 cubic meters per day.
“As of now, okay pa ang supply. [But] if ang tag-init mo-extend, if matinuod ang El Niño, it is really expected nga ma-affected atong water sources,” she said.
“Although underground man ang source sa MCWD, di dayon siya maigo but considering nga abnormal and lesser ang rainfall, mo-replenish sa atong aquifer kay ang rainfall baya, eventually naa jud na siyay impact sa atong water supply,” she added.
On average, MCWD currently distributes a total of 270,000 cubic meters of water per day. Of this number, 183,000 cubic meters of water are sourced from the water district’s underground sources, while the Cebu Manila Water Development (CMWD) Corp., one of MCWD’s bulk water suppliers, produces an average of 35,000 cubic meters of water daily.
Gerodias said that the current volume of the water supply coming from the Lusaran Bulk Water Supply Project, operated and constructed by the private firm JE Hydro, was also helping in MCWD’s water production.
The Lusaran Bulk Water Project is partially supplying 7,000 cubic meters of water daily.
The MCWD, currently, has various undertakings to meet the current demand of water in the Metro.
RELATED STORIES
Ahead of El Niño: Water rationing starts in some Cebu City brgys
Cebu City’s Agriculture Department prepares for impact of El Niño
El Niño Phenomenon: MCWD starts water rationing in elevated barangays
El Niño Phenomenon: Cebu province under state of calamity
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
