MCWD northern service area to receive more water supply

CONSUMERS of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) in the northern service areas will benefit from an additional 7,000 cubic meters of water daily from the Cebu North Bulk Water Supply Project.

This is despite the challenges posed by the El Niño-induced drought affecting the utility’s water sources.

MCWD spokesperson Minerva Gerodias, on Thursday, May 9, 2024, said the Manila Water Philippine Ventures Inc. (MPVI) will supply an additional volume of up to 7,000 cubic meters to MCWD. This is on top of the 35,000 cubic meters of water daily that MPVI currently supplies to the water district.

The water supply will be sourced from the Luyang River in Carmen town, northern Cebu. The MCWD and the MPVI signed the water supply contract for the Cebu North Bulk Water Supply Project on Jan. 30.

Gerodias said the delivery will start within the month, which will benefit the towns of Liloan and Consolacion, and alleviate the scarcity of water in barangays Umapad, Alang-alang, Looc, Opao, Tabok, Cambaro, Paknaan and Pagsabungan in Mandaue City, as well as those in Pusok and the Mactan Export Zone in Lapu-Lapu City.

Earlier reports said the water source in Carmen remained stable despite the El Niño phenomenon that the country is now facing.

Water deficit

Gerodias reported last Thursday that the water district’s current daily production is 236,223 cubic meters, marking a 21.5 percent drop from the usual 301,000 cubic meters. This resulted in a daily deficit of 64,777 cubic meters.

In a previous SunStar Cebu report dated April 26, the water deficit was recorded at 21.1 percent, with an output of 237,472 cubic meters.

Gerodias said that both the Buhisan Dam in Cebu City, which usually produces 6,000 cubic meters, and the Compostela source, which normally yields 12,500 cubic meters, are currently dry and not producing any water.

However, some surface water sources remain operational, including the Jaclupan wellfield in Talisay City which now produces 6,669 cubic meters per day, down from its usual 30,000 cubic meters.

Additionally, Lusaran Hydro in Cebu City, serving Barangay Busay and Pit-os, only manages 6,840 cubic meters, a decrease from its standard 30,000 cubic meters.

Only the Luyang River in Carmen town remains unaffected by the drought, maintaining a steady output of 34,857 cubic meters daily.

Luyang River

In a Capitol meeting last April 22, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia met with MCWD Board chairman Jose Daluz III, general manager Edgar Donoso, and MVPI general manager Stan Genosa.

Garcia assured that she will find ways to maximize the water production in their facility in Carmen, and one of these is the lifting of the order closing the two deep wells in the area.

The governor will also issue a cease-and-desist order for at least two mountain resorts in Carmen for various violations of environmental laws.

The Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas has found these two resorts to have built concrete structures within the mandatory 20-meter easement zone of the Luyang River.

Garcia ordered that the structures, especially the pools, be demolished to allow the water to flow freely and help maximize the water production of the Luyang River.

In a statement, Daluz welcomed Garcia’s move, adding that MCWD needs all the additional supply it can get considering the drastic drop in the production of surface water sources.

He said that surface water sources of MCWD, like the river in Compostela and the Jaclupan facility, have been severely affected by the dry spell, and their production has decreased, affecting thousands of households.

Desalination

Meanwhile, MCWD said they will start receiving the initial delivery of desalinated seawater from Barangay Opao in Mandaue City.

Beginning Friday, May 17, they expect to receive 10,000 cubic meters of desalinated water.

The desalination plant in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City, is expected to begin initial deliveries in late May or early June, providing an initial volume of 10,000 cubic meters of water per day.

Meanwhile, the desalination plant in Cordova on Mactan Island, capable of initially delivering 5,000 cubic meters of water daily , is nearing completion, with water testing already underway.

Upon full operation, these three plants will collectively have the capacity to produce more, with plants in Barangays Mambaling and Opao each capable of producing 25,000 cubic meters, while the plant in Cordova can produce 20,000 cubic meters daily.