METRO Cebu’s main water supplier is targeting a 24/7 supply of water in its franchise area by the end of next year.
Ernie Delco, assistant general manager for operations of the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD), said they will be implementing several projects and developing additional sources of water, such as dams and reservoirs, to meet the needs of its consumers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Delco, who appeared before the Cebu City Council yesterday to discuss Cebu’s water situation, also said MCWD is looking at implementing an in-house water source development.
This means that by the end of 2010, MCWD expects an additional water production of 9,260 cubic meters (cbm) per day and by next year, an additional of 5,160 cbm.
Also, Delco said MCWD plans to establish a bulk water supply project, which they expect to produce, by the end of the year, 5,550 cbm of water daily and by 2011, an additional 45,000 cbm of water.
MCWD, Delco added, will also develop surface water sources, which will include the proposed medium-height Kotkot Dam.
The dam, according to the agency’s projections, will generate 50,000 cbm of water per day by the end of 2015.
Five years after the implementation and the operation of the Kotkot Dam, MCWD will be developing another dam in Lusaran.
The dam, Delco said, is expected to generate 55,000 cbm of water per day.
Also, Delco said MCWD is discussing the implementation of the projects they initiated several years ago, which were not realized.
He said the agency is yet to fully implement the Compostela water supply project, the Malubog Dam and the Carmen bulk supply project, which are seen to produce water 10,000 cbm, 50,000 cbm and 40,000 cbm of water per day, respectively.
Aside from its 24/7 water supply program for its customers, MCWD also plans to widen its coverage in Metro Cebu.
MCWD, he said, is addressing roughly 50 percent of Cebu’s total water demand.
Delco, however, said by next year, the agency will meet 60 percent of the total water demand.
It projects to expand its coverage to 86 to 90 percent by 2025.
Meanwhile, Delco said MCWD is losing P39 million per month from illegal water connections, stealing and unauthorized extraction of water from fire hydrants.
With this, they are requesting the Cebu City Government to sign an agreement with MCWD to help regulate the extraction of water from hydrants to reduce the agency’s losses.