BACOLOD City – To address this city’s low water supply, the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) passed a resolution interpolating no objection to the proposed water supply system of a private firm.
The resolution of no objection (RONO) was approved by the SP during their regular session on Wednesday, April 8, following the request from Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez for the passage of a RONO sought by Helpmate, Inc. on their proposed domestic water supply system here.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, however, clarified that the granting of a RONO is not an approval for the water supplier’s project.
“This [RONO] will be used to start the processing of their regulatory permits for them to conduct a feasibility study first together with the National Water Resources Board (NWRB),” he said.
The said private firm is now operating in Cebu and Davao both as a water supplier and distributor.
For his part, Mayor Benitez welcomed the SP’s action, saying it will definitely improve the city’s water supply.
“Kon more water concessioners, competition will bring better service,” he said.
The city mayor earlier said that the city’s water table had gone down from 84 million liters a day (MLD) to 77 MLD due to the current dry season, thereby affecting water levels in some areas here.
He added though that the Bacolod City Water District – PrimeWater, the lone water distributor in the city, is also finding remedies for additional water supply such as tapping the Caliban River in Murcia, Negros Occidental and other water sources like deep wells./PN
