MCWD shuts down 8 polluted wells

The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) has stopped the operation of its eight deep wells due to nitrate intrusion.

“We first noticed the nitrate intrusion during the El Niño that we experienced years ago and we have been observing these wells but we monitored that the nitrate level is still high,” said MCWD spokesperson Chairmaine Rodriguez-Kara.

Nitrate contamination is caused by agricultural fertilizers and septic tanks. This is the reason MCWD has required the mandatory dislodging of septic tanks in their distribution area.

The septage management program is one of the intervention they are doing to avoid further nitrate intrusion in MCWD’s wells, which started in 2016 yet.

Kara said the nitrate intrusion has affected the supply of water in some of MCWD’s customers.

“If a well can produce about 1,000 cubic meters per day, it will serve around 1,000 households. If we shut down that, the supply of those households will be affected,” she said.

This is the reason there are areas where water supply is not 24 hours, she added.

To prevent more water disruption, Kara said they are augmenting their water supply from their other water sources.

Kara did not disclose the location of the closed wells to avoid creating panic from among their consumers.

Kara encouraged owners of private wells to have their water tested.

She said that MCWD will soon implement a project that will use latest technologies to remove the nitrate from the water of these eight wells. /