Friday, April 04, 2008 Tomas plans to repair city's old water tanks
THE Cebu City Government tapped engineer Pericles Dakay to help assess the repairs needed for City Hall’s large water tanks that were built in the 1960s as firefighting reservoir.
Most of these tanks are no longer operational.
Dakay met with City Administrator Francisco Fernandez and City Fire Marshal Esmael Codilla yesterday morning to map out steps that should be done to address the problem.
The City recently also asked Dakay to help evaluate the integrity of the City Hall executive building.
It was reported that small cracks were noted in the basement where water seeped in, and white, crystalline-like substance believed to be salt were observed.
It was feared that seawater has already entered into the building’s foundation.
Dakay, though, assured there is no cause for alarm as the cracks were too shallow, and no cracks were noted in the beams and posts of the structure.
Fernandez said that the tanks near the Pari-an fire sub-station, along Jakosalem St., and at the Abellana National School will be renovated first by next month.
Not operational
The City has built at least six water tanks before the Martial Law years, but some of them are no longer operational.
Fernandez said that aside from rehabilitating the existing tanks, it was also recommended that more should be built.
Seeing the need to improve firefighting here, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña in February last year said he is willing to have the fire department placed under the City Government.
That was after fire gutted 17 commercial establishments along Lincoln and Manalili Sts. at the Carbon Public Market area.
‘Good chief’
He said, then, that while the fire department has a “good chief,” referring to Codilla, something is wrong with the organization.
He had cited one fire in 2001, when he was told by a fireman that they cannot use full pressure in spraying water because they were still waiting for the super tankers to get back from Pari-an, where they get water from a tank.
He was already told that time that five other water tanks strategically built in different parts of the city during the time of his father, Sergio Osmeña Jr., were not operational.
He had said it took the City just P12,000 to repair all five tanks.
Rehabilitating the tanks now, though, requires a lot more, and Fernandez said Dakay is assisting to fast track the process.
Also, Fernandez said the City will soon conduct a fire drill for the legislative building, and training for those occupying the structure.
Codilla and his men will be back at City Hall today to set the drill and training schedules. (RHM)
