This project benefits some 1,000 households in island barangays here, whose residents will no longer need to fetch potable water from inland facilities.
House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., who represents Pangasinan’s fourth district that includes this city, led the inauguration rites in barangay Salapingao.
De Venecia provided P20 million from his Countryside Development Fund. The Dagupan City Water District, under general manager Ramon Reyna, gave a counterpart fund of P10 million.
The underground pipeline project was started in the early 1990s during the administration of then Mayor Liberato Reyna Sr., Ramon Reyna’s father. This project was continued by Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. until the administration of incumbent Mayor Benjamin Lim.
Lim, who also served as congressman of Pangasinan’s fourth district, also gave P2 million for this project.
The underground water pipeline starts in barangay Pantal Patalan connecting it through Calmay, Lomboy, Salapingao, sitio Dupo, and to Pugaro.
The pumping station is located in barangay Bonuan Boquig.
Reyna said that even with the large amount of money spent on this project, residents pay only P99 for the first 10 cubic meters — a rate similar to that of concessionaires in inland barangays.
He added that the rates they charge is still the lowest in the whole country.