THE Talisay City Government is weighing its options on whether to solely run its own local water system or forge a joint venture agreement with private firms.
This, as the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) said it can provide grants if Talisay City pursues its plan to establish its own water district.
City Councilor Arturo Bas yesterday revealed two to three private firms have expressed their intentions to forge a partnership with the City Government for a joint water system project.
Bas, who is on his last term, said these companies made the proposals when he was still on his second term as a member of the legislative body.
While these firms assured to set up all the technical aspects of the projects, such as the laying down of pipelines, the City also will also get at least two seats in the water board, he said.
"Unlike in the MCWD (Metropolitan Cebu Water District), where Talisay has not been given a seat in its board. Gibaliwala lang ang Talisay (They did not give us any importance)," Bas said.
Juan Saul Montecillo, an appointee of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, chairs the MCWD board.
Bas shared the views of Rep. Eduardo R. Gullas (Cebu, 1st district) who found it unfair and unjust that the city has not been accorded the courtesy of having a seat in the MCWD board while the firm is drawing 33,000 to 35,000 cubic meters of water per day from 15 wells in Talisay.
MCWD also has a weir at the Mananga River in the upland village of Jaclupan.
In a press conference over the weekend, Gullas lamented some areas of Barangays Camp 3 and Lagtang, where MCWD has direct sources of water, have no water for their households.
The issue on the irregular supply of water in Talisay came out when Bas complained he and some of his neighbors in Lagtang have been suffering from lack of water for more than three weeks.
Bas appealed to MCWD to increase the water pressure so he could have a steady supply of water in his house, which is elevated from the Lagtang main road.
Bas revealed his MCWD taps produced water for at least two hours last Sunday and yesterday, after the issue came out through the media.
But Bas said Gullas prefers the City Government manage its own water district instead of forging a joint venture with private companies.
Gullas, the author of the Talisay City Charter, has given the go-signal for the City Council to pass an ordinance creating its own water district.
Meanwhile, LWUA executive assistant Mel Rutaquio said the LWUA, a government-owned and -controlled corporation, can extend loan grants to local government units
(LGU) if they want to establish their own water system.
LWUA's website showed the agency has already passed a board resolution providing lowered interest loans, with a maximum amortization period of 40 years.
Apart from loan grants, Rutaquio said LWUA also provides technical assistance, such as training for LGU personnel.
LWUA's mission is to develop water districts in waterless communities and help them become self-sustaining institutions.
Rutaquio said some areas in Central Visayas, including Cebu, have already availed of LWUA's financial assistance.
"The first thing that an LGU will do is to pass a resolution in the Sangguniang Bayan or Panglungsod creating a water district," he told Sun.Star Cebu in a phone interview.
The LGU will have to submit to LWUA a request for a loan grant and attach the approved resolution. The LWUA will then assess the LGU's capability, Rutaquio said.
The LGU will have no direct hand in managing the local water district financed by LWUA, as an independent board will run it.
Rutaquio said this is to avoid the involvement of politics in the running of the water firm and maintenance of its sustaina-bility.
He cited an instance wherein the local mayor was hesitant to cut off the water supply of a non-paying constituent.
In today's session of the City Council, Bas will formally bring up the state of water supply in Talisay.
"If majority of us decide, then we will summon the MCWD officials to explain before the council," he added.
Meanwhile, Socorro Atega, director of the Cebu Uniting for Sustainable Water (CUSW), said yesterday Talisay City must consider different aspects before deciding on its plan to create its own water district.
City officials must first consider the governing and environmental aspects behind it, she added.
In the governing aspect, Talisay City officials must look into existing water laws to know whether the city is entitled to a seat in the MCWD board, which holds the majority of water franchises in Metro Cebu, said Atega.
As for the environmental aspect, City officials need to know whether existing water sources-like the Mananga Watershed-have enough capacity. (GC/With JKV)