BACOLOD Bulk Water Inc. (BBWI) chairman Ryan Yapkianwee said on Thursday, September 7, they will deliver water by October 12 for Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa).
Yapkianwee said it is their target date to start the operation of Injection Point 1 in Barangay Granada.
He said that after the 25-year bulk water supply contract was signed on March 22, 2016 between Baciwa and consortium led by Tubig Pilipinas Group Inc., Mactan Rock Industries, and TVG Builders Inc., they formed the BBWI to undertake the project.
BBWI will use the Ngalan River in Barangay Granada as surface water source.
Yapkianwee, along with Baciwa general manager Juliana Carbon, Thursday discussed the status of the bulk water contract and water supply with the members of Bacolod Water Consumers Watch Inc. (BWCWI) led by Councilor Wilson Gamboa at the Bacolod Government Center session hall.
Also present were several village officials.
Yapkianwee said the Injection Point 1 will deliver 15,000 cubic meters of bulk water per day. They will deliver it to Baciwa with a rate of P8.85 per cubic meter.
The BBWI is using Baciwa’s water rights permit and after seven years, they will turn over the system to the Baciwa management for free.
Yapkianwee said that after seven years, they will donate to the people of Bacolod or Baciwa the Injection Point 1 which costs P122 million.
“We are donating this after seven years. Our contract is 25 years, but we are giving this to the people of Bacolod at no cost after seven years. We are doing this, to show to the people that our intention is sincere, we want to deliver the water right away,” he said.
Moreover, Yapkianwee said the Injection Point No. 2 in Murcia is expected to operate by December 2017 or January 2018 to deliver 15,000 cubic meters in bulk water per day. It will be delivered to Baciwa with a rate of P9.85 per cubic meter.
For her part, Carbon said they will give a chance to the BBWI to comply with their commitment to start the operation by October 12.
She said the bulk water supplier can only provide 30,000 cubic meters per day and she cannot determine yet if it could answer the water shortage in Bacolod.
“We will determine how we could improve the water supply and we will review everything from the contract, the demand and supply projection, and the capacity of the water district to accept the water supply from the bulk water,” she added.
Carbon said the Injection Point 1 could serve the areas along Barangay Granada going to the downtown area.
Bacolod has a water shortage of four million liters per day.
Baciwa is also set to drill six additional wells for replacement of declining of existing wells and to strategically address low water supply areas.
The six wells are expected to be constructed in the areas of Arao Relocation Site, Abada Escay Relocation Site, East Homes 5 in Barangay Mansilingan, Villa Angela, Barangay Mandalagan, and City Heights.
Gamboa, chairman of BWCWI, said the additional six wells is unnecessary because the bulk water is already set to deliver the water supply.
Instead of drilling of six wells, Gamboa said that Baciwa could divert the P49 million for the reduction of the non-revenue water, rehabilitation and maintenance of old pipes, and construction of additional water lines for the non-serviceable communities.
He said about 50 percent of Bacolod residents are not covered by Baciwa.