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[av_heading heading=’Stop using 14 wells, Baciwa told ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
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BACOLOD City – The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) ordered the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) to stop using groundwater from 14 deep wells in the metro.
Baciwa was found to be using the deep wells without permits from the NWRB, the board said in an order signed by Executive Director Devillo David Jr. and dated Nov. 10.
Within 15 days from receipt of the order, Baciwa must seal those wells and submit an affidavit of compliance, the NWRB said.
Baciwa general manager Juliana Carbon said they have not yet received the order. “If we receive our copy, it will be endorsed to the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel for appropriate legal action and advice.”
The NWRB will be constrained to resort to appropriate administrative and/or criminal charges against Baciwa if the utility fails to comply with the order, stated the order.
After an inspection at Baciwa premises from April 3 to 7, the NWRB’s Monitoring and Enforcement Staff found that the utility was “appropriating/utilizing water from 14 deep wells in the city without the benefit of water permits from the NWRB, in violation of Article 13 of the Water Code of the Philippines,” the order stated.
On May 29, the NWRB issued to Baciwa a show-cause order directing the utility to submit a written explanation under oath justifying the infraction, stated the order.
On July 14, Baciwa replied, saying most of the deep wells were merely turned over by subdivision developers to the utility. Upon verification, the wells did not have water permits, said the board.
“It was further expressed that you (Baciwa) are collating the necessary requirements to commence the application of water permits for the subject deep wells,” the order further stated.
Resident John Sy had filed a complaint against Baciwa for the drilling of the 14 deep wells.
Carbon could not confirm as of press time if that complaint had something to do with the recent NWRB order.
“When I inquired with the NWRB, only six deep wells were being utilized by the water district while the rest have pending applications for water permits,” said Carbon.
Baciwa filed the applications in January last year but the NWRB has not yet acted on them, the utility’s general manager said.
With pending water applications for eight wells, this means there is “no extraction, appropriation and utilization yet,” she said./PN
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