BACOLOD City – The Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) has assured that this city will have adequate supply of water by next year.
Mona Jardin, general manager of Baciwa, recently visited the Bacolod City Government Center and presented to Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez the water security plan of Baciwa and PrimeWater Infrastructure Inc. (PrimeWater).
To recall, in July 2020 Baciwa signed a P6.8-billion 25-year joint venture agreement (JVA) with PrimeWater. The project, which commenced in November 2020, aims to solve the long-time problem of low water supply in the city.
Baciwa added that the ultimate goal of the joint venture is to provide 24/7 water services, if not to 100 percent, but at least 90 percent of the population.
The city, Jardin said, needs to have 100 million liters a day (MLD) of water supply. At present, the water utility firm is supplying the whole city with 84 MLD only.
She said their water supplier, the Bacolod Bulk Water Inc. (BBWI), is currently working to inject water to Injection Point No. 2 from Murcia town.
“We are hoping to inject it in the system in the first or second quarter of next year. But the PrimeWater is also doing its best that in the next couple of months it can have the 6 MLD from Matab-ang River,” she added.
The Injection Point No. 2 will serve the southern portion of the city while the Matab-ang River will serve the northern part.
Additionally, Mayor Benitez and Jardin discussed the Rainwater Catchment Facility Project of Baciwa which is eyed to begin in the first quarter of 2025.
The project aims to provide sustainable solutions for water scarcity especially in severely affected areas in the city.
The recipient barangays of the project are Tangub, Mansilingan, Sum-ag, Banago, Mandalagan, Taculing, Vista Alegre, Handumanan, Singcang-Airport, and Felisa./PN
