Tacloban City, Philippines — Mayor Alfred Romualdez has declared a water crisis in this city, citing the worsening water supply problem.
Romualdez blamed the water shortage on illegal connections.
“I’ve conveyed my disappointment. I am frustrated. I told Prime Water and LMWD (Leyte Metropolitan Water District) that there’s a report from engineers that we are losing 50 percent of our water supply due to illegal connections,” he told a press conference yesterday, referring to water utility companies servicing the city.
“There’s a list of these people and establishments that are illegally connected to the pipelines,” Romualdez said.
Aside from low or lack of water supply, consumers decry the recent increase in water rates by P8 per cubic meter.
Romualdez said he asked Prime Water and LMWD to cut the illegal connections and file charges against the culprits.
He gave the water utility companies until the end of the month to address the water shortage in the city.