Monday, October 16, 2006 MCWD asked: Track down leaks, illegal lines
CONCERNED that too much water is being wasted, a Cebu City legislator wants MCWD to act on reports about leaking pipes and to detect illegal water connections.
Councilor Edgardo Labella also asked the public to be alert in repairing damaged and leaking pipes as a way of conserving the water supply.
While it continues to search for additional sources of safe and affordable water to meet the demand in Metro Cebu, the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) should minimize the amount of water wasted, he said.
In a proposed resolution, Labella said the leaking MCWD pipes crisscrossing within the city might be one of the reasons the supply of potable water is at risk of a possible shortage.
“Undeniably, the recurring water supply crisis in Metro Cebu could substantially be minimized if the problem of leaks and illegal connections will be given appropriate attention by the concerned government agencies,” Labella said.
He said the shortage of water supply in some areas of Metro Cebu is compounded by the “non-revenue water”, or water that is not accounted for due to illegal connections.
As of last August, MCWD reported a systems loss of 32 percent, which means that at least one-third of what it gets from water suppliers is not converted into income.
“Solving the water distribution side problem may perhaps lead us to realize that by saving what we have might be one of the doable measures needed to ensure the city’s supply of water,” Labella added.
MCWD is hoping to get an additional 40,000 cubic meters of water a day through the Carmen Bulk Water Supply Project, which has yet to undergo a price challenge.
The water district has also recently started the bidding for an additional 5,000 cubic meters of water a day from water projects in the towns of Consolacion and Liloan.
The Cebu City Council is scheduled to discuss Labella’s proposed resolution during their regular session this Wednesday. (LCR)
