BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio Water District (BWD) is currently sourcing out more than P92 million from the national government in order to bankroll the rehabilitation and upgrading of the 2-hectare Mount Sto. Tomas rain catchment basin in order to guarantee the abundant supply of water in southern and central Baguio during the future summer months.
Engr. Salvador M. Royeca, BWD general manager, said the proposed rehabilitation and upgrading of the rain catchment basin in order to maximize its water holding capacity that will translate to sustainable water supply for over 30 percent of water consumers in southern and central Baguio City and some parts of nearby Tuba, Benguet.
“We are continuously working out projects that will provide our increasing number of consumers with abundant water supply even during the dry season that is why we want the active participation of the private sector in the development of potential water sources within and outside the city,”Royeca stressed.
Among the works that will be undertaken in the Mount Sto. Tomas rain catchment basin will be the improvement of its dikes, concreting of its walls and base, putting in place of its pipelines, cleaning of the whole basin and fencing of its premises to prevent encroachments and unabated dumping of waste in one of the major sources of water for the city and nearby Tuba town.
According to him, the planned rehabilitation of the old Sto. Tomas rain catchment basin is one of the BWD’s interventions in response to the repeated appeal of Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan for owners of new buildings in the city to include in their building plans the existence of a rain catchment basin within their structure to serve as one of their sources of water for domestic uses during the dry season and to store huge volume of water during the rainy season.
BWD is able to produce over 77,000 cubic meters of water from its various sources during the rainy season and as low as 42,500cubic meters during the summer months.
Royeca supported the call of Mayor Domogan for new building owners to establish their own rain catchment basins within their structures which will be used to store potable water for their domestic use considering that it would greatly help in addressing the rapidly growing requirements of potable water in the city which has been triggered by rapid urbanization.
The BWD official cited there is a need for local residents to contribute in growing efforts to conserve water and try to maximize the storage of abundant rain water that could be utilized for domestic purposes in buildings and other commercial structures to help in addressing water shortage.
Aside from rehabilitating and upgrading the Mount Sto. Tomas rain catchment basin, he revealed BWD will also initiate appropriate reforestation activities within the surroundings of the said catchment basin in order to contribute in effectively and efficiently addressing pollution problems that affect the state of water coming from the said facility.
Royeca explained BWD wants to venture in reviving some rain catchment basins within other forest reservations in the city in order to increase the availability of potable water supply for the growing population but the insufficient funds continues to be one of the major problems being encountered by the water district in its bid to sustain the availability of water supply for residential and commercial consumers.
