THE Davao City Water District (DCWD) clarified on Tuesday morning, November 21, that the ongoing pipeline flushing activities in major water supply systems (WSS) are part of the Bulk Water Supply Project and not an annual operation.
This clarification follows negative sentiments from netizens about the project, which began on November 18.
“Naka-receive mig daghan reklamo and nakita pud nato sa social media nga daghan ang nagapangutana nganong ingilahang tubig. Gumikan kana sa gipahigayon nga pipeline flushing activities (We have received numerous complaints, and we've also noticed on social media that many people are inquiring about the water quality. This is a result of the pipeline flushing activities)," Jovana Cresta Duhanglungsod, DCWD Spokesperson told SunStar in a phone interview.
She said that the flushing activities are crucial to check the water quality in the city.
In response to complaints, especially in Agdao and Obrero areas, the DCWD has taken action.
A viral video by resident Ryan Al Chiu showed turbid and cloudy water due to the pipeline activity. Residents expressed concerns about the water's brown color and safety.
“Davao City Water District na unsa mani? Karon ra jud alas 10p.m. Nov, 19. May gani wala mi ka inom ataya pirting baho-ag kanal sa tubig. Gipa-agasan na namo og maayo wala jud ning tin-aw (Davao City Water District, what is this? It happened at 10 p.m. on Nov 19. Thanks, we didn't drink it because it smelled like water from the canal. We have already opened the faucet for the continuous flow of water, and it's still not clear)," Chiu said in his caption.
In an interview with Hans Rallos, a resident of Barangay Centro, Agdao, she expressed their surprise at the situation, noting that the water's brown color made it unsafe to drink.
“Nakuratan nalang mi sa tubig namo didtoa. Di pud sya safe para imnon basig magsakit mi. Pero karon, okay na sya. Nibalik na ang katin-aw sa tubig kompara last time (We were taken aback by the condition of our water. It was not safe to drink, fearing it might cause illness. But now, it's okay. The water has cleared compared to last time)," she explained.
The extensive flushing activities covered various systems (Dumoy Line 2, Tugbok Main, Tugbok sub-systems A and B, Talandang, Riverside, Calinan, Cabantian, Panacan, and Mandug), with DCWD advising customers to flush their own lines for at least two minutes and boil tap water during this period.
The water agency also advised boiling tap water before consumption, particularly during the flushing season.
“As an additional precaution, they may boil tap water if they intend to use it for potable purposes,” DCWD said in their announcement. DEF