THE Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) has identified 12 barangays in the cities of Cebu, Talisay and Mandaue that have been “severely affected” by water supply shortages amid a continued drop in daily production.
These are barangays Umapad, Opao, Alang-alang, Looc and Subangdaku in Mandaue City; Lorega San Miguel, Binaliw, San Jose, Talamban and Pit-os in Cebu City; and Cansojong and San Roque in Talisay City.
However, residents in other barangays not included in the list are also struggling with their water supply, with one consumer reporting inconsistent service since January.
This is occurring as Cebu grapples with the ill effects of the drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon, with its effects expected to persist until the end of May.
MCWD spokesperson Minerva Gerodias told SunStar Cebu on Thursday, April 11, 2024, that they continue to face a struggle in providing water supply as its production has plummeted, with a reduction of 46,748 cubic meters of water each day.
The local water utility’s daily output now stands at just 254,252 cubic meters as of Wednesday, April 10, which translates to a 15.53 percent decrease from the utility’s maximum production capacity.
She said the maximum water production capacity under normal circumstances is 301,000 cubic meters per day.
MCWD serves the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay and Lapu-Lapu, and the towns of Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela and Cordova.
Last March 5, Tommy Gonzalez of the production department of MCWD reported that they were already losing 25,000 cubic meters from their daily water production, at the time when Cebu was still placed under a dry spell.
Currently, Gerodias reported the halving of production at the Jaclupan wellfield in Talisay City to 14,193 cubic meters per day, from the usual 30,000 cubic meters, and at the Buhisan Dam to 3,143 cubic meters per day from 6,000 cubic meters.
Lusaran Hydro’s water production in Cebu City has also been cut in half to 15,000 from 30,000 cubic meters daily.
Only the water supply from the Luyang River in Carmen town has not been affected.
Affected residents
The ongoing drought has severely hampered the utility’s ability to meet the increasing water demand of the community.
Gerodias said with the current deficit in their daily water production, approximately 46,000 households will experience low supply to intermittent water supply.
Not in the list
Mariecon Guinto, a graduating radiologic technology student from Southwestern University Phinma, said that since January, they have been experiencing intermittent water supply in their residence in Sitio Zapatera in Barangay Luz, Cebu City.
Guinto, 24, said their water supply has regularly become low, and they experience no water supply for at least two days a week, with interruptions lasting for three to four hours each day.
She added that because of the unreliable water connection, they have learned to ensure that there is enough water in stock for their family of seven households.
Jessa Faith Pepito, 25, a junior architect from Barangay Duljo-Fatima, Cebu City said that earlier this week, they started to experience a 14-hour water service interruption every day, affecting their family of 10 household members.
She said the water supply comes back only every 8 p.m. until 6:30 a.m., so people are now losing sleep just to fetch water for the next day.
Barangays Luz and Duljo Fatima are not in the list of barangays MCWD defined as severely affected.
Intervention
Gerodias said to augment the water supply in severely affected barangays, they follow a schedule in deploying water trucks to supply these areas.
In Mandaue City, water trucks visit Barangay Umapad on Mondays and Thursdays; Barangay Opao, Tuesdays and Fridays; Barangay Alang-alang, Wednesdays and Saturdays; and Barangay Looc, Sundays.
Barangay Subangdaku receives deliveries on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; the trucks also serve Mandaue Public Market in Barangay Centro on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
In Cebu City, the trucks are deployed to Barangay Lorega San Miguel Tuesday through Saturday; Barangay Binaliw on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays; and barangays San Jose and Talamban on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Water trucks go to Barangay Pit-os on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, as well as to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
In Talisay City, Barangay San Roque receives deliveries on Tuesdays and Saturdays, while Barangay Cansojong is served on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Desalinated seawater
Gerodias also addressed the expected initial delivery of 30,000 cubic meters of desalinated water that is supposed to come this month.
Desalinated water is seawater that has undergone a process to remove salts and minerals, making it suitable for drinking and other purposes.
Gerodias said there has been a delay as they are still coordinating with their contracted water suppliers from Barangay Opao in Mandaue City and Barangay Mambaling in Cebu City for the deliveries.
“We are still hoping that they can deliver within the month. They are making adjustments in their plants, but the pipe laying is already complete. We are eagerly awaiting the operation of their plants,” she said.
Additionally, she urged the public to practice water conservation as they face the issue of water supply shortages amid the drought.
Earlier, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) Visayas announced that Cebu is currently experiencing a drought, which will persist until the end of May.
Drought is classified as an extended dry condition, characterized by either five consecutive months of below-normal rainfall or three months of significantly below-normal rainfall.
Jhomer Eclarino of Pagasa Visayas previously defined below-normal rainfall as 20 to 60 percent less than the usual amount, while way-below-normal rainfall indicates a decrease of more than 60 percent from the norm.
He also said last month that on average, Cebu receives 60.9 millimeters of rainfall in March. However, this year, it has recorded only 9.8 millimeters, representing an 84 percent reduction.