Tanks or cisterns can store rainwater for later use and help reduce flooding. (ECOVIEENVIRONMENTAL.COM)
The rainy season has started, but another dry spell is expected in September.
Now is a good time for the Cebu city government to get serious about putting up cisterns and water impounding facilities, especially in the uplands, said the City Council yesterday.
A little-known Cebu city ordinance requires houses and buildings costing over P250,000 to have a cistern in their design to store rainwater.
The council asked the Office of the Building Official (OBO) in a resolution not to issue building or occupancy permits to owners until requirements are met.
In a privilege speech, Councilor Nida Cabrera said rainwater harvesting must be a priority of the city.
“With an improved fiscal position resulting from recent biddings for the development of the South Road Properties (SRP), the City may now proceed to prioritize strategic solutions to solve our water woes,” Cabrera said during a regular session.
She said cisterns can be set up in the barangays and schools in the uplands as projects charged to the city’s P800 million budget for barangay aid.
Cisterns are used to harvest rainwater, easing the impact of water scarcity during an El Niño episode.
It also lessens the volume of surface water runoff that cause urban flooding.
Last May, a state of calamity was declared in the uplands of Cebu city where a dry spell affected the livelihood.
Without long-term solutions in place, said Cabrera, the city had to spend P13 million this year to buy water hoses and plastic drums as a short-term remedy.
The state weather bureau announced the onset of the rainy season in Jun 23.
“As soon as the rains started, floods engulfed many parts of the city. This is a classic case of, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.
Every year, the level of water scarcity during the dry season increases and always reaches a calamity proportion,” said Cabrera who heads the committee on environment.
The council resolutions appealed to Mayor Michael Rama for water impounding projects and for OBO to strictly enforce City Ordinance No. 2103 or the Rainwater Conservation Ordinance of Cebu City.