No water shortage this summer – MIWD

ILOILO City – Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) assured consumers of sufficient water supply this dry season.

According to MIWD Water Rates Committee chairperson Amarylis Josephine Castro, the volume of water at the dam in Maasin, Iloilo remains ample.

The watershed in Maasin is the primary source of MIWD water. A check on Tuesday showed the water level in the dam to be at 95.8 meters above sea level.

The “critical level” is 94.8 meters above sea level, said Castro, the MIWD officer-in-charge. General Manager Imelda Magsuci is on leave.

Rains in recent days helped keep the water level “normal”, she said.

“I don’t think (may shortage) unless may ara sang (calamity). You cannot control the weather. Ang kululbaan lang siguro kon may El Niño,” said Castro.

El Niño is a weather phenomenon characterized by a prolonged dry spell.

MIWD has over 38,000 concessionaires in Iloilo City and in the municipalities of Cabatuan, Oton, Santa Barbara, Pavia, Leganes, San Miguel, and Maasin in Iloilo province.

Each day, MIWD distributes between 62,000 to 65,000 cubic meters of water. Of these, 25,000 cubic meters are supplied by bulk water suppliers FLO Water Resources Inc. and Prime Water Ventures.

The remaining 37,000 cubic meters are from the Metro Iloilo Bulk Water Supply Corp.

According to Castro, the average volume of water that a consumer uses each day is only between .8 to one cubic meter of water.

She, however, said MIWD’s non-revenue water is at 46.57 percent. Non-revenue water is water lost to either leaks or pilferage.

One measure being done to reduce non-revenue water, according to Castro, is the rehabilitation of defective water pipes in Barangay Nabitasan, La Paz district; Javellana, Del Carmen, Jalandoni, and Fajardo streets all in the district of Jaro.

For this, MIWD allotted P70 million, said Castro.

Soon to be rehabilitated are water pipes in barangays Jereos and Huervana in La Paz district; Barangay Simon Ledesma in Jaro and Donato M. Pison Avenue in Barangay San Rafael, Mandurriao. MIWD has an P80-million budget for this, said Castro.

The water district is also stepping up its campaign against illegal connections, and is replacing old and defective water meters, she added./PN