A MANDAUE City lawmaker has suggested the creation of a water district for the city in response to complaints from residents and small businesses experiencing low water volume or a complete loss of water supply since last week.
City Councilor Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, in an interview with reporters Monday, April 1, 2024, said the city can use either desalinated or brackish water, given Mandaue City’s proximity to the Mactan Channel.
The councilor suggested that the water district will operate alongside the Metropolitan Cebu Water District, which is responsible for providing water and some sewerage services in the cities of Mandaue, Cebu, Lapu-Lapu and Talisay, and the municipalities of Cordova, Consolacion, Liloan and Compostela .
Soon-Ruiz believes the city can attract investors to construct a socialized desalination plant.
The complaints about a water shortage were revealed during the council’s regular session on Monday.
City Councilor Jennifer del Mar del Mar told reporters that the council will invite MCWD general manager Edgar Donoso to be present in their next meeting on Thursday, April 11, to discuss solutions to the problem.
Recurring water interruptions have been happening since March 25, according to del Mar, chairperson of the committee on disaster risk and management.
Del Mar said the council would like to know the measures that MCWD has implemented so far to address the problem.
“Now we also have a problem because of fire incidents. Where will we get water? So, water is very important, especially during El Niño. We were hoping that MCWD is well-prepared on this matter,” she said.
Days of interruption
Soon-Ruiz said that last week’s water interruptions lasted for a whole day and night, affecting her and other residents.
“It is now beneficial that the water supply is replenished in the morning, allowing us to store water. The MCWD should have contingency measures in place that are not solely dependent on rainfall, especially during El Niño,” she said.
Some Mandaue residents have resorted to using mineral water for household and business-related activities due to the water shortage.
Teochie Garcia, a 31-year-old salon staff in Barangay Centro, said that due to the tight water supply, they have begun using mineral water so they can continue their services, which has increased their service costs.
Russel Sildora, a 30-year-old office worker residing in Centro, said that since the water shortage began, she has resorted to leaving her faucet open at night so when the service returns she can store as much water as possible.
Although Sildora’s family has not experienced a complete loss of water supply, she complained that the decreasing water pressure has affected their household activities like cooking. / HIC