BACOLOD City – Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez is urging the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) to present a water security plan in response to ongoing water supply shortages in the city.
He cited Section 5.1.2 of the contract between Baciwa and Prime Water Infrastructure Inc., effective from November 13, 2020, mandating that Prime Water must ensure all consumers enjoy a continuous 24-hour water supply by the end of the second year.
“By 2022, all consumers should have been experiencing an uninterrupted water supply. Clearly, this has not been achieved,” said Benitez.
He wondered what actions had Baciwa taken since 2022, asserting that penalties should have been imposed if the terms were not met, similar to those levied against their bulk water suppliers.
Since last month, water rationing has been observed barangays experiencing shortage, including certain areas in barangays Mandalagan, Handumanan, Villamonte, Mansilingan, Taculing, Estefania and Singcang-Airport.
Water supply has also been delivered to barangays 27, 30 and 33 in the city proper.
In 2020, Baciwa and Prime Water entered into a joint venture agreement aimed at resolving issues of water shortage and discoloration.
Following discussions with water experts, Benitez bared that Bacolod currently requires 125 million liters per day (MLD).
“There is a significant discrepancy in their service, as they have only provided 90 MLD,” he noted.
The mayor is demanding that Baciwa submits a robust water security plan that includes sufficient reserves to handle peak demand periods.
“We need a buffer, not just barely enough supply to meet our needs,” said Benitez.
He also stressed the importance of maintaining reserves at all deep well sources for emergencies and insisted on a strategy to address water discoloration, which may require replacing old pipes.
Currently, the city’s water facility has a capacity of 70 MLD, which has decreased to 50 MLD due to the effects of El Niño, resulting in a shortfall of 20 MLD, according to the mayor.
“I ask Baciwa to furnish me the violations of PrimeWater for possible renegotiation or termination of their contract,” said Benitez./PN
