Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival directed the Metropolitan Cebu Water District to lower its non-revenue water rate from 29 percent to 27 percent during a disaster council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026.
MCWD expects an additional 20,000 cubic meters of water per day by December from eight in-house groundwater wells and increased deliveries from existing bulk-water suppliers to offset projected declines at Buhisan Dam and the Jaclupan wellfield.
JE Hydro & Bio-Energy Corp. committed to provide an additional five million liters of water per day to improve service in Barangays Pulangbato, Pit-os, Bacayan, Talamban, and nearby areas following resident complaints.
CEBU City is urging the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) to reduce water losses as officials look for ways to protect supply ahead of the dry season and the expected effects of El Niño.
Mayor Nestor Archival directed MCWD to lower its non-revenue water (NRW) rate from 29 percent to 27 percent during the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council's ninth regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026.
The move comes as some households continue to experience supply interruptions and MCWD prepares for reduced production from water sources vulnerable to prolonged dry conditions.
What is non-revenue water
Non-revenue water refers to water that enters a utility's distribution system but does not generate income because it never reaches paying customers.
The losses may come from leaking pipes, illegal connections, inaccurate water meters and authorized but unbilled consumption.
At MCWD's current NRW rate, nearly three out of every 10 liters entering its distribution system do not generate revenue. Reducing those losses could make more treated water available to consumers without developing a new source.
Archival's proposed target would lower NRW by two percentage points. The actual volume of water recovered, however, would depend on how much of the utility's losses come from physical leaks rather than other causes.
The mayor instructed the disaster council secretariat to prepare a resolution directing MCWD to pursue the target. He also recommended hiring a third-party contractor to repair leaking pipes more quickly.
According to Archival, reducing leaks would help prevent treated water from being wasted and improve the amount reaching consumers.
MCWD chairman Ruben Almendras said the concerns had already been discussed with the mayor.
"We had a meeting with the Mayor early this week and all these were already covered and addressed," Almendras told SunStar Cebu in a message.
MCWD serves Cebu City as well as Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Talisay cities, and the municipalities of Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela and Cordova.
Why is El Niño a concern
The push to reduce water losses comes as MCWD expects some of its major sources to produce less water during El Niño.
In a Sept. 7, 2026 advisory, the state weather bureau said the ongoing moderate to strong El Niño may intensify into a very strong event before peaking toward the end of the year and could persist through the first half of 2027.
El Niño is associated with warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific and can increase the likelihood of below-normal rainfall, dry spells and drought in some areas.
Although Cebu is currently forecast to receive near-normal rainfall this September, utilities are preparing for the possibility of lower water yields from vulnerable sources.
Will MCWD have enough
replacement supply
MCWD expects an additional 20,000 cubic meters, or 20 million liters, of water per day by December from eight in-house groundwater wells and increased deliveries from existing bulk-water suppliers.
The district said the additional supply is intended to offset a projected decline from Buhisan Dam and the Jaclupan wellfield.
Together, the two sources currently produce about 30,000 cubic metres daily, equivalent to roughly 10 percent of MCWD's total output.
MCWD projects that production from the two sources could fall by about 18,000 cubic meters a day during El Niño.
If that happens, output would decline by about 60 percent, leaving only around 12,000 cubic meters daily from the two sources.
On paper, the planned 20,000-cubic-metre increase is greater than the projected 18,000-cubic-metre loss. However, whether consumers experience improved service will also depend on the timing of deliveries, distribution efficiency and the areas receiving the additional supply.
What is being done for communities
already experiencing shortages
For communities already affected by supply interruptions, officials are pursuing additional short-term water sources.
Archival said JE Hydro & Bio-Energy Corp. committed to provide an additional five million litres, or 5,000 cubic metres, of water per day.
The commitment was announced following a meeting between city officials, MCWD representatives and JE Hydro executives.
According to Archival, the added supply is expected to improve service in Barangays Pulangbato, Pit-os, Bacayan, Talamban and nearby areas.
The announcement follows complaints from residents in Talamban and Pit-os, where some households reportedly went nearly two weeks without running water.
City Councilor Alvin Arcilla earlier called on MCWD to address the shortages, while booster pumps were installed in lower Talamban and Pit-os to improve water flow.
Arcilla also said consumers should not bear the effects of financial disputes between MCWD and its bulk-water supplier, stressing that water service remains a public responsibility.
How does the Lusaran proposal
fit into Cebu's water plans
Officials are also considering longer-term measures to improve water storage capacity.
The City Council unanimously approved Arcilla's resolution expressing no objection to JE Hydro's proposed impounding lagoon in Barangay Lusaran.
The proposed facility would have a storage capacity of 200,000 cubic meters, or 200 million liters.
That figure refers to the amount of water the lagoon could hold at one time and does not indicate how much water it could supply daily.
The no-objection resolution is not a permit and does not authorize construction of the project. The proposal must still secure the required clearances, permits and approvals from government agencies and comply with applicable environmental regulations.
Arcilla has also referred the proposal to the Zoning Board for a review of the requirements accompanying the company's application.
The Lusaran barangay council separately issued a certification of no objection, citing possible benefits for water-resource management and the community, subject to environmental safeguards. / CAV