WELLS in nearby villages have dried up allegedly due to the operation of a desalination plant that converts brackish water into potable water in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.
Ed Karlon Rama, Cebu City Bantay Dagat Commission executive director, said on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024, that residents of Barangays Mambaling and Basak Pardo, through their respective barangay councils, reported to the Coastline Management Board (CMB) about cases of existing wells drying up.
During the executive session on Wednesday, Nov. 27, there was also a mention of water wells drying up in Barangay San Nicolas.
According to Rama, who is also chairman of CMB, the water wells started to dry up only after the desalination plant of Pilipinas Water Resources Inc. (PWRI) began operating early this year.
He said that the board is still collating the initial reports of other coastal barangays to determine the extent of the damage.
Rama said he was informed that the PWRI had told residents during previous consultation meetings that this might possibly happen.
Due to the limited power of the CMB, Rama said a resolution was passed raising the concern to the council and urging the latter’s intervention.
Rama said that based on the PWRI’s Environmental Impact Statement gathered by the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro), the facility has dug seven wells, each 60 meters deep, within its facility in Mambaling to support its operations.
The PWRI extracts 71 million liters per day (MLD) of brackish water from these wells.
The brackish water is converted into potable water, with PWRI supplying 25 MLD to the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD).
The MCWD signed a contract with PWRI in February 2023 for the procurement of 25,000 cubic meters of desalinated water per day for 25 years. Under the agreement, PWRI will deliver 10 MLD during the first 19 months, increasing to 25 MLD, or 25,000 cubic meters daily, for the remaining years until the contract expires.
However, Rama said the process meant that PWRI also discharged 50 MLD toxic brine into the city.
During the executive session on Wednesday, Rama said that based on PWRI’s presentation, including maps, the pipe discharging the toxic brine might be located near the Pasil Fish Port. However, this information has yet to be verified.
The 60-meter-deep wells of PWRI, which are also about 200 feet deep, have already reached aquifers or groundwater, Rama said, adding that individuals digging their own wells need to reach more than 100 feet to reach the aquifers.
Rama said that these might also be a factor as to why the existing wells around the coastal barangays have dried up as the PWRI extracts more than the residents’ consumption.
Rama said that it is now up to the City Council to come up with a legislative measure to address the concern, adding that the executive session last Wednesday was called for in aid of legislation.
He said Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has also been informed of the situation and is working for an intervention.
Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover earlier called for the suspension of PWRI’s desalination plant operations, citing the need to assess the plant’s environmental impact and address concerns raised by Cenro.
Aside from toxic brine, PWRI’s plant also releases high-salinity wastewater, which could negatively impact marine biology in the coastal areas in the South Road Properties.
PWRI’s experts admitted to the council on Wednesday that no such study was conducted.
The desalination plant began operations on July 31, despite being unresponsive to Cenro’s concerns. Follow-ups sent by Cenro on Aug. 5 and Aug. 19 also went unanswered by PWRI and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7.
On Sept. 12, Cenro received an email from the EMB stating that PWRI had been approved but no Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) had been issued. When Cenro questioned why PWRI was approved without addressing their concerns, EMB clarified that it had not approved PWRI.
On Sept. 27, EMB 7 issued a notice of violation on PWRI and the latter promised Cenro to address the concerns raised.
Cenro was informed just moments before the executive session that PWRI had obtained an ECC on Oct. 31.