TO supply more water in the city, Davao City Water District (DCWD) plans to add 37 production wells by 2030.
The planned 37 wells will serve as other means of supplying water in the city aside from the Apo Agua to avoid future problems such as water interruption.
DCWD Spokesperson Jovana Cresta Duhaylungsod said during the 12th regular session of the 20th City Council of Davao that the wells will provide water to those living in the first and third districts. She said that the plan is already in motion until 2030.
As of writing, Duhaylungsod is yet to provide details on how many connections will be served with the additional production wells and the current stage of the plan.
Meanwhile, Duhaylungsod said it will be difficult for them to establish wells in the second district as they are having a hard time finding sources with “viable supply and quality.”
However, during the session, Councilor Diosdado Mahipos Jr. raised a question on the feasibility of DCWD’s plan.
He pointed out that the agency initially claimed that when the Bulk Water Supply System project in partnership with Apo Agua will begin operations, the coastal aquifers in Dumoy, Toril, Tugbok, and Mintal will shut off to allow it to rest.
“With the Bulk Water operation, the Dumoy Aquifer will be rested, several of the wells will be rested but we will still be developing a plan, papunta na po tayo sa (we are already going to) Baguio District, Toril Area, and upper parts of Catigan,” Duhaylungsod said.
DCWD said that other wells will only be operating for maintenance purposes. DCWD said
“intrusion of sea waters into Dumoy aquifers would result in irreversible damage. This happens when extraction of water is faster than when the aquifers are recharged.”
She also said that by 2023, when Apo Agua begins its operations, the water service provider will only be using 20 percent groundwater and 80 percent surface water.
“But that figure could go up, syempre (of course) because the water demand of the city is also increasing, so as the water demand increases we will be operating more and more production wells,” Duhaylungsod said.
Mahipos suggested not to over-extract the aquifer.
“Just be sure, I’m talking for the next generation, let us not over extract the aquifer because we want that our aquifer will be preserved and we have Apo Agua,” Mahipos said. KSD