BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio Water District (BWD) was able to acquire close to P400 million grant from the national government to improve the city’s water distribution and supply system to ensure the availability of sufficient water for the consumers even during the dry season.
Engr. Salvador M. Royeca, BWD general manager, said some P139 million is currently being used to complete the put up of a catchment basin within Busol watershed, P92 million is now being used for the rehabilitation of the Sto. Tomas rain catchment basin and more than P135 million is being used for the completion of the city’s pipeline system to enable more consumers to avail of water connections with the district in the future.
“Our water distribution and supply system projects are underway and we hope that we will be able to complete the programmed projects early next year in time for the onset of the dry season so that we will be able to address the rapidly increasing water demand of our residents and visitors,” Royeca stressed.
The BWD official explained the projects being done in the Sto. Tomas rain catchment basin is the concreting of the base of the basin and the walls to guarantee the prolonged storage of potable water, the put up of a guardhouse and the fencing of the perimeter of the basin to prevent activities that will contaminate the water supply.
From its previous capacity of 700,000 cubic meters, he disclosed once the rehabilitation of the catchment basin will be completed, the basin’s capacity will increase to 1 million cubic meters of rain water which will be an added boost in sustaining continuous water supply for consumers along the Marcos highway area during the dry season.
On the other hand, Royeca pointed the completion of the rain catchment basin within the Busol watershed will guarantee an added capacity of 55,000 to 65,000 cubic meters of rain water which could be used to augment its low water supply during the dry season and will ensure adequate water supply for the consumers in the Aurora Hill and central business district areas.
According to him, the completion of the district’s pipeline project in the uncompleted barangays will definitely help entice people to apply for water connections once the supply system will be put in place thereby improving its service areas for the benefit of easier access of the people to potable water supply.
Royeca claimed once the projects will be completed by early next year, it could already start storing rain water during the rainy season which could be used to augment its low water supply during the summer months of 2019 where there has been a projected increase in tourists visiting the city.
He stated the funds were acquired from the Local Water Utilities Administration (LOWA) and the Department of Tourism (DOT) and that some of the funds were downloaded to the Department of Public works and Highways (DPWH) for the implementation of the three major projects designed to improve the city’s water distribution and supply system beneficial to the residents and visitors alike considering the enormous demand for potable water supply.
Royeca expressed confidence that the projects are right on target so that the complaints of the residents on the alleged weak water pressure during the dry months could be addressed.
By HENT