Ninety six percent of the more than 500 deep wells that are operating in the city are illegal, a senior official of the Baguio Water District (BWD) said recently.
BWD general manager Engr. Salvador M. Royeca said that the proliferation of illegal deep wells in various parts of the city cause the depletion of the city’s aquifers that also affects the water district’s capability to provide the increasing number of consumers with adequate supply of safe and potable water.
The BWD official claimed that of the more than 500 deep wells in the city, only 20 were issued the necessary permits from the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).
Royeca pointed out that there should be a concerted effort among concerned government agencies, the local government and the public to go after the operation of illegal deep wells in the city to help in allowing the aquifers to recharge and prevent the rampant presence of their unpermitted existence, privately or commercially.
According to him, the efforts of the NWRB in coordination with the water district and the local government to conduct regular monitoring and inspections on the operation of illegal deep wells is a welcome development to help in ensuring the sufficient supply of potable water for BWD’s consumers.
For his part, BWD non-revenue division manager Engr. Fernando A. Peria disclosed that of the more than 200 deep wells that were inspected by the NWRB personnel from October to November last year, only 10 percent of the said deep wells have permits that were issued for the said purpose.
He added that there will be continuous monitoring and inspection that will be conducted by the NWRB on the operation of residential and commercial deep wells in the city to look into whether or not the said wells were issued the required permits prior to being constructed.
Earlier, the local government, through a council resolution way back during the previous administration, requested the NWRB to allow the city to intervene in every application that will be filed for the operation of deep wells in the city to ensure that there will be appropriate coordination in the issuance of permits for the said operations.
Royeca stipulated that there is nothing wrong in the operation of deep wells in the city but the owners of the said wells should pass through the stringent process prescribed under NWRB rules and regulations to ensure that their operations will not affect the water district’s capacity to provide the consumers with sustainable supply of safe and potable water pursuant to its mandate.
He urged consumers to report to the water district, the local government or the NWRB the presence of illegal deep wells in their respective places so that the authorities can immediately act on the said matter by conducting the required inspection prior to the institution of appropriate actions against the owners of the illegal deep wells in the city.
BWD has around 68 deep wells with duly issued permits, 4 springs and 2 catchment basins as its source of safe and potable water supply being provided to its over 48,000 consumers around the city. By Dexter A. See
Many places in Baguio City don’t have water lines from BWD. So what do you expect? Many households in Baguio would want to have legal source of water but there are a lot of areas here where there are no BWD lines. Unless BWD resolves this issue the proliferation of illegal deepwells will continue to grow.
Now the government going after people with deep wells, this sounds like Communism…. Can’t you leave people alone ? All your doing is looking at ways to take money from people. GOVERNMENT IS NO GOOD
Fine.. so what is the action from the local.government of Baguio . What created this situation ? BWD INSUFFICIENT SUPPLY OF WATER !!