Agency eyes change of water system in Iloiloi

TOP officials of the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) are coming up with a plan to change the whole water system in Iloilo City, said its general manager Le Jayme Jalbuena.

Jalbuena met with Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog on Wednesday, September 19, to discuss the problem of acute water shortage in the city despite the heavy rains.

Mabilog wanted MIWD to answer why no water is coming out of the concessionaire’s faucets despite proper payment of water dues.

Jalbuena said they are looking into a possibility of changing the whole system by putting up new lines with a series of wells from San Miguel to Mandurriao and Molo districts.

He said the project will entail much budget and drilling one deep well will take more than 30 days and will cost some P2 million.

The MIWD official acknowledged the shortage due to the ongoing rehabilitation of MIWD deep well pumping station Number 14 in Pandac, Pavia that resorted to sand pumping without water.

Areas without water for several days now are Arevalo, Molo and Mandurriao, including certain areas in the city proper.

Jalbuena told Mabilog that the rehabilitation of the pumping station will take two weeks or until September 30 for completion of its sand blasting operation.

The pumping station operation will resume by October 7, and Jalbuena said they are mulling to dig another well near the area.