BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) has enhanced its strategies to cushion the impacts of El Niño on water resources in the metropolis.
These include system energization and use of technology for additional water supplies, conservation efforts, infrastructure improvements, and sustainable practices.
In a statement, MPIW said they energized over the weekend the transmission line in the Leganes-Jaro service area and other water infrastructure system maintenance to bring an additional 10 million liters per day (MLD), or about 4, 803 drums of water.
The infrastructure upgrade came after the water distributor firm reported the water level in the Maasin Dam – the firm’s main water source – is “rapidly declining,” thus causing challenges to its biggest bulk water supplier to maintain its current water supply production of an average of 53 MLD.
MPIW has another bulk supplier delivering 20 MLD.
Likewise, MPIW announced that it started the preparatory activities for its Sahara® mobile leak detection system.
This modern leak-detection system will strengthen its ongoing leak repair driver and aims to recover another 12 MLD which will augment water supply to customers until the start of the rainy season in June.
“MPIW’s main strategy to cushion water shortages that can come as a result of El Niño focuses on aggressive leak repair activities and collaboration with its bulk water suppliers for the implementation, development, and energization of alternative and additional water sources,” said Engr. Jedd Roxas, MPIW operations division head.
With the water demand during drought, MPIW expects these initiatives will help stabilize the water supply production to an average of 70 to 73 MLD for its 48,000 service connections.
The company also announced that it is preparing other projects associated with the renewal and rehabilitation of its pipe networks with a total project cost of P1 billion.
It also reiterated its call to its customers and the public for the responsible and sustainable use of water. MPIW serves seven municipalities and Iloilo City with a population of about more than 850,000.
Since forming a joint venture agreement with the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) in 2019, the city’s primary water distributor has seen water availability rise from 40 percent to 63 percent.
MPIW said it has improved system efficiency and reliability by reducing water losses from 59 percent to 43 percent.
Meanwhile, Mayor Jerry Treñas said he met with MPIW last week and the latter told him that they have finalized negotiations with Prime Water and Flo Water for an additional 10,000 MLD of treated water.
“I thank all the parties for successfully negotiating the terms of their agreement for the welfare of our constituents, especially during this period of the El Niño phenomenon,” said Treñas.
Last March 20, MPIW started rationing water in certain areas in Iloilo City and nearby towns amid the dry spell caused by the El Niño phenomenon.
The water rationing affects water service across Iloilo City, Santa Barbara and portions of Pavia in Iloilo province.
“This is to help arrest the rapid decline of the water level at Maasin Dam due to limited inflows from rainfall,” read part of the MPIW statement.
The water schedule came as the water distribution firm admitted that the water level in Maasin Dam is at 93.86 meters and is “rapidly declining due to the effects of El Nino.”
“The prolonged absence of rain in the past weeks, and the continuous increase of temperature results in low bulk water supply production,” it said.
The MPIW urged the public to use water responsibly and conscientiously, and conserve water during their water supply schedule./PN
