By ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
NEGROS Occidental’s plan for a bulk water project (BWP) via public-private partnership (PPP) may be put on hold.
Why?
It’ll be missing one potential target/customer – the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa).
How could it be?
Let’s anatomize this interesting topic.
In previous interviews, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II bared the province’s plan regarding BWP. Target source of water – Embang river in Silay City and Malogo river in Victorias City and EB Magalona.
Proposed capacity: 100 million liters per day (MLD).
Expected customers: water districts in EB Magalona, Victorias, Silay, Manapla, and Bacolod.
Of the five targets, Baciwa already said “NO”.
Having this unwanted development, one of the three potential BWP proponents in the province, per info, was taken aback.
Supposedly, half of the 100 MLD will be sold to Baciwa.
SMART WATER
Well, I sat down with Baciwa general manager (GM) Mona Dia Jardin to get their side.
Her sincere introduction: “We badly needed smart water now!”
Why?
Baciwa, at present, has 150,000 household-customers.
Technically speaking, GM Jardin explained, Baciwa apparently needs 100 MLD to supply all their customers. However, their current production only plays at 80 MLD. Hence, Baciwa’s facing 20 MLD water deficit.
Thus, prior to the province’s plan, Baciwa already inked pacts with three bulk water suppliers. One of those is also the subsidiary of Manny Villar’s business conglomerate. Or the sister company of Prime Water Infrastructure Corporation (PWIC).
Baciwa and Villar’s PWIC have an existing 25-year joint venture agreement (JVA) that started in 2020. And GM Jardin said one of the three suppliers is already sure to deliver 30 MLD (anytime) this year. The other two will commence theirs for additional 90 MLD in 2025.
“That will be our reserve supply for the projected increase of our customers two years from now,” she said.
“That’s why we can’t execute a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the province’s BWP which, according to plan, will be realized three to four years from now.”
CAN’T BE
Question: What’ll happen to the province’s proposed BWP?
Well, most probably, it’ll be tabled.
With water districts from EB Magalona, Silay, Talisay and Manapla left as possible customers, then, it can’t be. Their needed capacities can’t suffice with the target capacity of the proposed BWP.
BWP is no ordinary project. It needs huge investment. More so the infusion of state-of-the-art technologies.
Permitting alone could be tricky.
Moreover, BWP (always) courts varied environmental issues.
Yes, the province’s plan of establishing such could be “splendid” in essence.
The mission: To deliver affordable reliable potable water (ARPA)
“Romantic” to hear, right? But the other side of the coin is “chancy” as well.
Aside from environmental concerns, be wary, too, of the possible socio-economic impacts.
AGAINST FOOD SECURITY
BWP, per research, will indirectly upset the province’s food security thrust. With global warming now, it’s possible that BWP will disturb the flow regimes of river(s). To be greatly affected is the irrigation system. If this happens, then NegOcc’s sugarcane and rice plantations will be put in a “distress situation”. Future yields will drop and so on and so forth.
Negros is “Sugar Bowl” of the country still. If irrigation system will be affected later, it may also cause an immense impact on the sugar production. Hope Gov. Bong Lacson will take these “undesirable insights” into consideration.
WATER SECURITY
Yes, the governor is “hailable” in his quest for water security. He doesn’t want Negrenses to suffer from water lack sooner or later. Worse, from unsafe water. And BWP could be an answer, perhaps.
But there must be “limitations”. Exporting water from the river to BWP facilities has adverse effects. If BWP is more on business intentions, then, it could be a “little bit dangerous”.
My readings re: BWP led me to know the candid state of the rivers all over the world. The European Environment Agency (EEA) said with climate change now affecting the world, rivers are among the “casualties”. As a consequence, activities that depend on high water abstraction will be affected by change of river flows. Much more if there’s a BWP “siphoning” the river. The finale: An eventual reduction of water availability.
Ergo, it’s time now for Gov. Bong to dwell on the balance. He needs to widen his vision and repeatedly ask this question: Is BWP a boon or a bane for NegOcc?
The governor, who’s perceived a “green hero” is, therefore, expected to arrive to a “wisest decision”. /PN
