Friday, January 04, 2008 Lanao Norte townsfolk lose water supply By Richel V. Umel Lanao correspondent
LINAMON, Lanao del Norte -- An estimated 1,300 water consumers in Linamon town in Lanao del Norte lost potable water after a flashflood cut and damaged several mainline pipes from a supply source in Sitio Taytay here.
Engineer Celestino C. Sipalaty, Jr. Linamon Water District Manager, said 30 pieces of pipes were damaged by drifting wooden debris and boulders at the height of last Wednesday flashfloods.
Sipalay confirmed the report earlier that a waterspout hit the creek that links Sitio Tinago and Sitio Tangcal in the hinterland of Linamon, Lanao, which caused an overflow of Linamon River and flooded the public market near the riverbank.
The boulders and driftwood carried by flashflood hit the pipes.
Sipalay said it will take five days to repair and restore the water supply, which cost P150,000. The residents mostly depend for their water from Upper Barangay Bosque of Linamon and Timoga, Buruun in Iligan City.
Sipalay urged consumers of Linamon to bear with the LWD while the repair is going on.
In a related incident a nipa hut underneath the Linamon bridge was destroyed during the flashflood. No one was reported killed says the Iligan City Rescue 811 team.
Linamon town Mayor Noel N. Deano said he suspected that the Agus 4 hydro-electric plant of the National Power Corporation (Napocor) might have released water from its dam that led to flooding in Linamon River.
However, an Agus 4 employee Engineer Moises Abamonga said the Napocor have not opened their dam to release any excess water.
Abamonga explained that whenever they release water from the dam or spillway, the water goes through the Agus river and straight down to Iligan Bay but not in Linamon River.
