8 Barangays in Cebu City, Talisay, Suffers Scarcity of Water

More than 2,000 families in eight barangays of Cebu City and Talisay City are now suffering from the scarcity of water as a result of the intense heat brought by El Niño that affected the supply of the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD).

MCWD General Manager Ernie Delco said the low pressure of water is experienced by the residents of some parts of Barangays Sambag 1, Sambag 2, Sitio Banawa in Barangay Guadalupe, Caretta, Pardo and Bulacao, all in Cebu City and Barangays Pooc, Lagtang and Lawaan in Talisay City.

Delco admitted that they lack water because the water levels in both Jaclupan dam in Talisay City and Buhisan dam in Barangay Buhisan, Cebu City had went down as a result of the intense heat that started early this year.

He said MCWD usually got about 30,000 cubic meters of water daily from their dam in Jaclupan, Talisay City, but presently they are able to get only 11,000 cubic meters. In Buhisan dam, MCWD also used to get 10,000 cubic meters everyday, but now it went down to only 2,000 cubic meters.

The affected eight areas and some other barangays in Cebu City are getting its source of water from the MCWD reservoirs in Jaclupan and Buhisan.

“Affected kini nga mga lugara kay elevated kini og gamay kun itandi sa ubang mga lugar,” Delco said.

MCWD Chairman Rene Mercado said they can request for additional water supply from their supplier in Luyang, Carmen, but the problem is the pressure of water because Carmen is already far from the city.

To give a temporary solution to the problem of lack of water in those areas, MCWD are using their water tankers to pour water direct to their main lines in the affected areas.

“Sama sa gihimo namo sa Barangay Sambag 1 ug Sambag 2 nga mi-inject mi og tubig direct sa main water lines sa mao nga lugar, resulta mikusog na ang ilang supply ug nangalipay ang mga tawo,” the MCWD general manager said.

Mercado for his part is hoping that more rain will come so that the water levels in their reservoirs will go up and their services will again become normal.

But PAGASA-Mactan chief weather forecaster Oscar Tabada said Cebu will continue to experience intense heat this month. Tabada even forecasted that the El Niño will continue until September or October, although at times, we experience mild rainshowers.

The MCWD encouraged the public to save water.

As part of the MCWD’s corporate responsibility, they have sent their Mobile Siphone Tanks (MST) in Barangay Bonbon and Barangay Cambinocot, both mountain barangays of Cebu City, to produce potable water for the residents of the hinterland barangays.

Raw water from the creek in that two barangays are siphoned and with the use of the state-of-the-art equipment donated by the Japan International Coordinating Agency (JICA), the water is processed to make it potable and fit for human consumption.

The mobile siphone tank that is presently used in Bonbon can produce at least 100 barrels of potable water everyday, while 35 barrels for the mobile siphone tank in Cambinocot. Anybody can get water for free from these mobile siphone tanks.