BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – This city will be placed under a state of calamity beginning today due to water scarcity triggered by the El Niño phenomenon.
“We will be declaring a state of calamity. Although our requirement is 15 percent of the affected population, they (affected population) have already reached 17 percent,” Mayor Jerry Treñas told a press briefing yesterday.
Treñas said he will meet with the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) for the declaration of a state of calamity and allocation of funds for the purchase of water from the Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) and the Balibago Waterworks System, Inc.
“We are trying our best (to cushion the effect of water scarcity). The challenge that we are facing now is the lack of water tanks because there are barangays that do not have water tanks,” said Treñas.
The mayor said he is coordinating with MPIW and Balibago Waterworks on the process of delivering to the affected barangay the water supply.
The CDRRMC earlier announced it would not recommend the declaration of the city under a state of calamity yet due to water shortage.
Instead, the council recommended an intensified risk management of the ill effects of El Niño especially on water supply.
Engr. Neil Ravena, General Services Office (GSO) and the Council’s Logistics Cluster head, had said there was no need for now to place the city in a state of calamity.
“Though the affected population in the city reached the required number for the declaration, the situation on the ground is still manageable,” stressed Ravena.
The council cited the climate and disaster risk assessment (CDRA) conducted by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) on the 25 barangays that are severely affected by the drought spell.
The survey showed residents have several coping mechanisms that helped in alleviating their situation brought about by reduced water supply. Several households also stock water supply from sources provided by Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) and from their wells.
The council recommended prioritizing “highly vulnerable” villages in water rationing, deployment of water tanks, and community advocacy on water conservation and management or sharing of the resources.
The council also recommended purchasing additional water tanks and the construction of a rainwater harvesting facility. The hot weather spawned by the drought spell triggered below-normal rainfall that resulted in the rapid decline of water level in Maasin Dam, the main raw water source of the water utility.
The MPIW had said the water level in Maasin Dam has decreased to 93.79 meters above sea level (ASL) from 93.80 meters due to extreme heat triggered by the El Niño phenomenon.
Although the water supply production level has decreased to 67.159 million liters per day (MLD) from 70.540 million liters per day, the water supply remains “above the critical level”, the water utility firm stressed.
The water utility company earlier announced it was on “heightened alert” after the water level in Maasin Dam continues to decline rapidly.
The water utility remains on heightened alert despite the additional 10 million liters per day from one of its bulk water suppliers.
With the water demand during the drought spell, MPIW said the additional water supply from its bulk suppliers will help stabilize the water supply production to an average of 70-73 million liters per day for its 48,000 service connections.
The water utility’s bulk water suppliers source their raw water from the Tigum, Jalaur, and Againan Rivers.
MPIW has allocated about P1 billion for the renewal and rehabilitation of its pipe networks under its service areas.
The pipe upgrades and rehabilitation will reduce water losses due to leaks, hence, an increase in water supply for consumers, Josue stressed.
Pipe leaks, if not repaired, cause water losses, resulting in low water pressure and service water interruptions across the city.
These leakages occur due to many factors, such as age and location of the pipe, rapid temperature changes, high water pressure, clogged lines, ground and soil movement, and loose water connectors or broken pipes./PN
