MCWD to Build 20 Reservoirs For Steady Service During Power Outages

The Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) will build 10 to 20 reservoirs in the next two years to make sure water distribution will continue even during brownouts, an official said.

MCWD General Manager Ernie Delco said water flow usually gets interrupted if there is a leakage or brownout.

A blackout in Metro Cebu from past 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. early last Thursday, after the Visayan Electric Company lost its connection to its power supply from the Leyte grid, again showed that MCWD consumers suffer from inconvenience whenever power supply is lost.

Delco said MCWD is eyeing to put a reservoir in Barangay Mactan in Lapu-Lapu City, Lagtang in Talisay and in areas in Cebu City including Oprra, Tisa and Nivel Hills in Apas, so that water distribution will not be disrupted.

Other areas will still be determined.

Each reservoir will be able to store 500,000 liters.

Delco said MCWD has allotted P50 million to build concrete and steel water reservoirs, which will be done within three years from now.

This way, water can be stored and the distribution won’t be interrupted even during brownouts.

Engr. Astrophel Logarta, department manager for MCWD’s production and distribution unit, said even short brownouts can have a huge effect on water distribution.

Logarta said they still have to pressurize the system so it’s not easy to restore water supply to every household after a power interruption.

The MCWD, he said, has generator sets that can produce water from its reservoirs in case the regular power supply is interrupted. (PNA) LAM/EB