BACOLOD City – The Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) is planning to increase its water rate from P208 to P248for the first 10 cubic meters.
Baciwa has applied for the rate increase before the Local Water Utilities Administration(LWUA) but LWUA administrator Jeci Lapus said they have yet to act on it.
According to Lapus, Baciwa wants to increase its water rate for its “new project” aimed at improving its service.
Lapus, however, did not specify what the new project is.
In a courtesy call to the Mayor’s Office yesterday, Lapus disclosed to media members that Baciwa is also planning to apply for a loan at LWUA.
The proposed loan amounted to “hundreds of millions,” said Lapus.
This week, Lapus visited all water districts in Negros Occidental to see their problems.
“I also went to Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo and this city. The problems are all the same – water shortage,” Lapus said.
Lapus told Mayor Evelio Leonardia that Baciwa can supply water to around 18,000 households in the city if it avails itself of the LWUA loan.
He added that 18,000 households consume 20 million liters a day.
On the other hand, Lapus reminded water districts of their mandate to deliver safe drinking water because “water is life.”
Citing records from the Department of Health, Lapus said the No. 5 leading cause of death in the county is diarrhea, a water-borne disease./PN
