Bulk water supply via surface water (Part 2)
Just to briefly recall, the first part of this essay discusses the initiative of the local political leadership on tapping Pampanga’s abundant surface water. The rationale is to complement the present ground water resource from which the water needs of the province’s institutional users, namely: household, industry and agriculture, is sourced.
There are compelling reasons for bringing about this complementation (ground and surface waters) if only to forestall the dire consequences on the environment and human health of unrelenting extraction of groundwater. As pointed out, studies show that by 2025, if no remedial measure is forthcoming, 12 out of 22 municipalities/ cities in Pampanga, are feared to experience groundwater shortage. Hopefully, such looming water crisis could be evaded by avoiding excessive groundwater extraction through the complementary use of Pampanga’s surface water.
It is gladdening to note that already due to modern technology on Bulk Water Supply and Septage Management, the tapping of surface water for domestic consumption is now being enjoyed in certain local government Units, such as, Metro Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo and Laguna.
In the case of Pampanga, the use of its surface water for domestic consumption will not only relieve the pressure on the continues extraction of its groundwater. It will compel families, factories and livestock growers located along and/ or adjacent to banks of major rivers of Pampanga, to desist from dumping their solid and toxic waste therein. Hence, the steady shallowing of river beds and contamination of the water deposited therein because of this dumped garbage will be substantially minimized, if not completely stopped.
Having said that, let me enumerate the various needed facilities to operationalize a Bulk Water Supply and Septage Infrastracture System that will pump out (and process) surface water from 3 major rivers of Pampanga for delivery to end-users. In general, the construction/ acquisition/ and operation of the following facilities must be undertaken: water intake facilities; water treatment facilities transmission and distribution facilities; collection and transport; and treatment and disposal facilities. It is important to note that an intermunicipal bulk water supply facility will be established as feedback facility.
To continue, let me mention the contemplated financing arrangement. Certainly, the terms and conditions of financing play a major role in decisions affecting the putting up of a business enterprise. Normally, in a purely privately-formed business entity, the most commonly relied upon financing is the debt and equity scheme— which means money invested by owners and others who share in the profits as distinguished from debt capital or borrowed funds. In fine, compliance with the requirements in forming a business under the above-mentioned set-up is simple and can be done expeditiously.
On the other hand, the realization of the proposed Pampanga Bulk Water Supply Project (Project) being one imbued with far-reaching public service interest necessarily requires a different type of formal arrangement for its establishment. This pertains not only with the organizational, financing, construction, operation, legal and management
aspects of the Project which incidentally are the primary concerns of any accredited Project Concessionaire. However, such pre-operational issues do not present a problem considering the experience, proven competence and financial soundness of unsolicited proponents for the Project.
Moreover, of equal importance is the role of the Provincial government of Pampanga (PGP) over the Project. This includes its obligation to secure the requisite water rights allocation over the Pampanga River from the National Water Resources Board (NWRB); assist in the procurement of right-of-way and other government permits from ECC and CPC; and monitoring and regulate the concessionaire in carrying out its obligations.
In light of the foregoing, it is proper to say that the Project squarely falls within the domain of Public-Private-Partnership concept. Under the PPP scheme, the government and private investors agree to combine their resources to promote social and economic progress. In the case of the Project at issue, the establishment of Bulk Water Supply Facility will help satisfy the water requirement of Pampanga through the use of its surface water asset. In doing so, the Project simultaneously mitigates the over-extraction of groundwater to slow-down land subsidence or sinking of land.
With political resolve and care for posterity, the initiative to tap the surface water resource of Pampanga deserves the support of all Cabalen, particularly, the elderly sector of Pampanga. Indeed, there is abiding faith that the Project will be concretized as herein envisioned. Someone said: An asset is like an arm or leg- use it or lose it. Let us beneficially use our surface water asset before we lose it. After all, the higher mission of public governance presupposes the conservation, preservation and utilization of natural resources, especially if abundantly available from within: in this case, our surface water to satisfy an indispensable need of its constituentsthe need for potable water.
To recapitulate, the establishment of the Project will enhance Pampanga’s water supply and its environment; generate employment and additional revenues for the provincial government. These benefits will come about without cost to the provincial government if the mode of financing for the Project adopts the investment scheme proffered by one of the unsolicited proponents in which case the only contribution of the provincial government is the performance of its non-financial and legal obligations.