BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio Water District (BWD) will be implementing adjustments in water rates being collected from consumers that will be spread over a three-year period effective this coming March to ensure effective and efficient service, improve water supply and sustain its operations.
BWD general manager Engr. Salvador M. Royeca said that the total increase in the city’s water rates is 50 percent where 30 percent will take effect this March 2025, followed by an additional 10 percent in 2026 and the final wave of 10 percent will take effect in 2027.
From the current P370 minimum water rates for residential consumers that was implemented from 2013 to 2024, it will increase to P481 by March 2025, P518 by 2026 and P555 by 2027.
On the other hand, from the current P740 minimum commercial rate, it will increase to P962 by March this year, P1,036 by 2026 and P1,110 by 2027.
The BWD official pointed out that ground water resources are the major sources of water supply in the city, thus, proper water source exploration is being undertaken to conserve and protect the said existing and potential sources.
He claimed that prevention of waste and protection of groundwater sources from pollution is done by maintaining and controlling ground water supply facilities, the distribution system and the waste disposal facilities in light of recent knowledge of the resource.
On February 2013- the Local Water Utilities Administration approved the existing water rates of BWD and the same had been implemented to date.
BWD is the sole water provider in the city founded in 1975 and currently supplies 123 of the city’s 128 barangays where the service coverage area is around 97 percent of the city and part of Tuba, Benguet.
At present, BWD has some 67 deep wells, 4 springs and 2 rain water harvesting facilities that provide water supply to the said service areas.
From 2014 to 2024, BWD was able to complete the drilling of 24 deep wells; completed some 25,344 meters of distribution and transmission lines with varying sizes; rehabilitated and re-piped some 21,300 meters of distribution and transmission lines with varying sizes; purchased 10 generator sets and installed the same in different pumping stations from 2017 to 2024; purchased 38 motor vehicles, 29 motorcycles and 8 water delivery trucks; reduced non-water revenue by 15.57 percent; upsized some 7,057 meters of pipelines; installed water treatment facilities in 11 locations; upgraded pumping equipment for operational efficiency in various locations and installed 10,130 meters of new distribution and transmission lines.
Among the water supply improvement projects that were completed from 2022 to 2024 alone are the installation of main lines at various locations, particularly 9 locations; repiping and upsizing of existing lines in 7 locations; construction of steel sump tank in one location amounting to P60 million and drilling projects in 12 sites having a total project cost of P160 million.
According to him, the estimated cost of one drilling project is around P95 million while the commissioning cost is P4.5 million or a total cost of P14 per deep well.
Royeca said that as of January 20, 2025, BWD has eight ongoing drilling projects being implemented and there are four others that are in the pipeline.
For its annual watershed protection program, BWD was able to construct more or less 44,000 square meters fire break at Busol, Buyog and Camp 8 watersheds with a project cost of more or less P700,000 annually.
From 2025 to 2034 where the proposed increase in water rates will be used, BWD aims to implement 10 drilling projects per year for the next three years with an estimated cost of P140 million annually; extend pipelines in various locations with a project cost of P222 million; implement water supply improvement projects or replacement of old or deteriorated pipelines in virus locations with an estimated cost of P175 million; implement water treatment projects with an estimated cost of P335 million; install solar panels at major pumping stations with an estimated cost of P210 million; install generator sets at major pumping stations with an estimated cost of P125 million and purchase of equipment, motor vehicles, materials for operational efficiency with an estimated cost of P816 million.
The proposed water rate increase was presented by BWD to various stakeholders during a public hearing that was recently conducted at the BWD main office where concerned consumers raised issues ranging from inadequate water supply in their barangays, slow response of BWD personnel to complaints of leaking pipelines among others and the imposition of the minimum water rates for residential and commercial consumers.
For his part, Royeca vowed to attend to the said complaints and assured the consumers that the situation is still within manageable parameters. By HENT