BACOLOD City – The 14 deep wells covered by the cease and desist order of the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) have their water permits being processed, according to an official from the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa).
Baciwa Board member David Villanueva said they will meet with the NWRB to discuss the implementation of the order after the latter identified the 14 deep wells without permits.
NWRB executive director Devillo David Jr. issued the order on Nov. 10 last year, which directed Baciwa to cease and desist from appropriating/utilizing groundwater from the deep wells located in different areas across the city.
Baciwa general manager Juliana Carbon, who received the order on Dec. 13, 2017,sent the NWRB a Dec. 28, 2017 letter defying the order due to “public interest.”
Carbon added that the NWRB did not provide Baciwa a list of which deep wells were to be closed.
The order was based on the inspection that the Monitoring and Enforcement Staff of the NWRB conducted on April 3 to 7, 2017 at the Baciwa premises.
The inspection found that Baciwa violated Article 13 of the Water Code of the Philippines when it utilized and appropriated water sourced from the 14 deep wells without water permits.
On May 29, 2017, the NWRB issued Baciwa a show cause order, requiring the water district to submit a written explanation under oath justifying the infraction.
AJuly 14, 2017 letter stated that the deep wells were only turned over to Baciwaby subdivision developers that is why they do not have corresponding water permits./PN
