BACOLEÑOS were cajoled into supporting the bulk water project. “It is highly advantageous for the water consumers of Bacolod City,” insists Bacolod Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. and head of the Bacolod Water Consumers Watch Inc. (BWCWI).
Alijisnons, last I checked, are still Bacoleños. Yet, we have yet to see that advantage over the old system of pumping water from the city’s aquifer. We might have problems with the trickles of even loss of water.
But not 13 hours straight. And this has been inflicted on us for months.
We were given a choice between surface or spring water. The choice was surface.
The Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) is running out of excuses. And BWCWI is suddenly out of words. Tongue-tied.
First, Baciwa blamed God. Acts of God. El Niño. The city has been pumping more spring water faster than can be replenished.
Then the rainy season came. Almost daily, the city experienced floods, including Alijis. Floodwaters have percolated to the aquifer. In other words, replenished. Refilled.
Sorry, Alijisnons, we still lucked out. We are located near the end of the pipeline, I was told. And pumped water cannot reach us. Baciwa now has more concessionaires now that there is competition for available freshwater resources. In other words, we in the barangay have no water at daytime and evening.
The next excuse was to blame the contractor, the Bacolod Bulk Water Inc. (BBWI). Judging from the local news, their project management is flawed on social acceptability required by law in an environmental impact assessment. It has issues with right of way and even occupancy permit for its treatment plant once it starts supplying water to Bacolod City, which should have been clarified during the first phase of project implementation.
And oh, Baciwa is regular whipping Central Negros Electric Cooperative due to its frequent brownouts. With power outages, the water utility cannot pump water to our side of the city. Its standby gensets are not geared toward this side of the city.
Officer-in-charge engineering manager Randolf Guintos texted me at 1:14 p.m. that “yup may for the moment water comes during pm schedle (sic) we are monitoring all areas on how to balance the supply pls bear with us. thnks for the understanding.”
No, I fail to understand. Bacoleños experience brownouts. Yet friends and relatives from other parts have no problems with water losses. Bulk water is supposed to be the solution to water shortages.
And avoid water rationing, which Engineer Guintos has confirmed.
(bqsanc@yahoo.com)