Bacolod: This highly urbanized city is preparing to conduct water rationing in areas with limited or no access as supply continues to dwindle this hot, dry season.
According to Philippines News Agency, Mayor Greg Gasataya has directed the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) to prepare water tanks and deploy water trucks to augment rationing efforts in affected areas. This move comes after a meeting on April 16 with PrimeWater Bacolod City engineers, who presented contingency plans to prevent further shortages.
PrimeWater reported a decrease in its overall production capacity, which has dropped from 100 million liters per day (MLD) to 87 MLD. Further reductions are anticipated as the heat persists. The utility firm also highlighted a significant drop in supply from Bacolod Bulk Water Inc. in the city's northern areas, from 24 MLD to 16 MLD. The supply further decreased to 11 MLD due to ongoing repairs for pipeline leakages and reservoir damage, resulting in a total reduction in the north of 13 MLD.
Mayor Gasataya has urged PrimeWater to implement immediate solutions to address the city's ongoing water supply issues. During the coordination meeting, PrimeWater committed to resolving the reservoir issues that have caused low water pressure across the city.
The firm has stated that water delivery is being prioritized for villages currently without supply, including Villamonte, Estefania, and Taculing. This situation mirrors an instance in March last year when the city government also conducted water rationing.
