ILOILO City – To ensure consumers’ water supply while the El Niño phenomenon rages, the primary water distributor for this city and some municipalities in Iloilo Province has stepped up efforts to minimize “non-revenue water” (wastage or losses).
This includes leak repairs and requiring its two bulk water suppliers to have additional water sources.
Their personnel are swiftly advancing pipeline rehabilitation, particularly focusing on leak repairs and water infrastructure projects, said Marie Joy Josue, the Corporate Affairs and Communications head of Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW).
To date, MPIW has successfully repaired 4,353 leaks, said Josue.
Leak repairs are set to become more efficient with the arrival this month of Sahara Technology, which can detect leaks in pipelines without the need for excavation, she revealed.
“This technology will speed up leak repairs, allowing us to recover 12 million liters of water per day (MLD), thereby boosting our water supply,” Josue said.
MPIW data showed that 44 percent of their daily water delivery is accounted for as non-revenue water, with 15 to 20 percent of that figure stemming from commercial losses, including water pilferage.
These losses are attributed to non-technical or commercial factors such as pilferage, theft, defective meters, meter reading errors, estimates of un-metered water supply, illegal tapping, and hydrant theft.
Currently, MPIW’s two bulk water suppliers – Metro Iloilo Bulk Water and Flo Water Resources – can provide 70 to 75 MLD to service areas, which include seven districts of Iloilo City and the municipalities of Maasin, Cabatuan, Sta. Barbara, Pavia, Oton, San Miguel, and Leganes.
However, the actual water demand from MPIW consumers ranges from 80 to 100 MLD.
Josue acknowledged a slight shortfall in water supply compared to consumer demand, leading to the implementation of water scheduling in some areas.
“We are implementing a water schedule, not because of El Niño, but due to pipeline conditions and network locations. This is why water scheduling is necessary,” Josue clarified.
Furthermore, to address the shortfall, MPIW plans to launch a water desalination program and hopes to secure an additional water supply from the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II (JRMP II) through Metro Iloilo Bulk Water, one of the water bulk suppliers, once it becomes operational.
“Securing water from JRMP II will significantly enhance our supply levels for consumers,” said Josue.
Josue also said MPIW’’s role as a water distributor means that any reduction in supply from the two bulk water suppliers directly impacts the volume available to consumers. Consequently, MPIW has directed these suppliers to seek out additional water sources, especially now, during El Niño.
Currently, the suppliers are reactivating pumping stations and deep wells to maximize their plants’ water delivery to MPIW, said Josue. They are also actively engaging in dredging activities to regulate the water flow from rivers, which are their primary water sources.
When asked if the bulk water suppliers could guarantee sufficient water delivery throughout El Niño, Josue expressed optimism, noting that the current delivery rate of 70 to 75 MLD is satisfactory and that river water levels, the main source for the suppliers, have not yet decreased.
However, maintaining this delivery rate through April or May, when El Niño is expected to intensify, will depend on the water levels in the rivers, which are sourced from both surface and groundwater, said Josue.
“At this moment, predicting when the water levels will drop is challenging, but we are committed to sustaining our supply until April and May,” Josue said.
Josue is hopeful that conditions will normalize by mid-April and May, allowing river water levels to gradually recover.
She also noted that, based on coordination with the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Iloilo City, there have been no complaints from barangays about water shortages.
Josue emphasizes the critical role of every individual in maintaining a sufficient water supply.
“We urge our consumers to use water responsibly and wisely,” she said.
Josue pointed out that despite MPIW’s efforts to conserve water through leak repairs and other initiatives, irresponsible public water use could still result in significant wastage.
She stressed the importance of responsible water usage, such as reusing water from washing rice and laundry for watering plants and cleaning comfort rooms, respectively./PN