Dried silt removed from Jaclupan dam
An estimated 2,000 small sacks of dried silt were scraped off the floor of the four-hectare Jaclupan infiltration basin in Talisay City.
Nearly 200 employees of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District took part in the five-hour clean up from 5 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. yesterday.
MCWD General Manager Engr. Ernie Delco said the infiltration basin of the Jaclupan dam needed to be dredged because of the four-inch silt or “suspended solids” covering the sand filter.
The basin is the entry point of a rapid water percolation. Once the water goes down the filter, it will start filling the three million cubic meter natural reservoir under the ground.
“Our intention was to prepare the facility so that in case there will be available rain, water permeates easily and would eventually increase our water production,” Delco said.
The Jaclupan facility produces an average of 33,000 cubic meters of water a day, however, water production dropped to 11,000 cubic meters in a day because of deficiency of rainfall.
Delco said that having a dried infiltration basin allowed them to clean more than one block where an estimated 2,000 small sacks of silt were collected.
The facility was dredged previously with 80 percent of the area cleaned.
Delco said the administration called on volunteers to help that is why 10 percent of the area was covered.
“The number who showed up almost doubled of what we expected even if it’s a Saturday. They came even if they were not paid for it or yet for overtime pay,” he said.
MCWD is the city’s major water utility firm, which is a governmentowned and -controlled corporation, that provides water and sewerage system in Metro Cebu.