Desalination project eyed to solve water supply lack

The Provincial Development Council (PDC) of Bohol had identified a solution to the twin problems of scarce supply of potable water and high cost of electricity besetting the development of Bohol's tourism capital, Panglao Island.

The PDC, during a meeting last September 8, endorsed the proposed water desalination facility in Dauis, one of the two towns in Panglao Island, which will utilize partly of renewable energy. Boheco-1 is providing power to the area, "but the proposed project [will use] solar panels during daytime operation."

Dauis planning and development coordinator Oscar Nistal said the lot of the project site at Barangay San Isidro is still to be purchased by the local government, and negotiations with the owner is going on.

The project will cover an area of 5,298 square meters. "The proposed project site is accessible from a national road and adjacent to a barangay road," Nistal said.

Panglao island is facing a severe shortage of potable water to meet the needs of the locals and businesses. "This problem has been a source of constant complaints from irate residents," Nistal said.

Aside from the problem on water supply, the high cost of electricity also hounds the tourist island where the current electric tariff rate reaches as high as P12 per kilowatt-hour, compared to only P8 to P9 per kwh in Manila.