MCWD water meters. | File photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Families in “thirsty” areas in Cebu City will soon have access to safe, adequate, and affordable water.
The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) on Tuesday announced its plan to expand its water service coverage to 1, 500 households or approximately 7, 500 individuals in Sitio Mahayahay in Brgy. Busay and Sitio Calvary in Apas.
In a statement, MCWD said that these households are located in what they refer to as “thirsty” areas because of their “challenging locations.”
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“As part of its ongoing efforts to expand water service coverage and address the growing demand in underserved areas, MCWD has launched pipeline expansion projects specifically targeting these sitios,” read part of its statement.
Pipeline expansion project
MCWD said that the pipeline expansion project was already awarded to a contractor. However, slight delays were experienced in its implementation because of the need to lay pipes along privately owned roads and sections of road right-of-way (RROW) that are under the jurisdiction of the Province of Cebu.
READ: MCWD kicks off water expansion projects in Guba, Agsungot
The water district has already started to secure the permission of private property owners.
In addition, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has also approved the excavation and pipelaying works on province-owned properties.
“This came after Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia personally requested the governor’s approval for the project,” MCWD said.
Steady supply
Meanwhile, MCWD General Manager Edgar Donoso has expressed his gratitude to Mayor Garcia during a recent visit to the Cebu City Hall for facilitating the request. He also thanked the Governor for her continued support to MCWD and all of its initiatives.
“Once pipelaying is completed next month, residents in the affected areas—many of whom have been without access to MCWD water for years—can finally enjoy a steady supply, thanks to the availability of water from the Lusaran bulk water project,” the water district said.
“MCWD remains committed to expanding its reach by implementing more pipelaying and expansion projects and developing new water sources to serve more communities,” it added. | Pinky Rondina, CTU-Tuburan Intern