MCWD commissions Lusaran water project

CEBU, Philippines — At least 5,000 households in the mountain barangays of Cebu City are expected to have clean water supply after Metro Cebu Water District’s P1.3-billion water expansion project finally reached Lusaran and Pulangbato.

MCWD has officially commissioned its expansion project yesterday after suffering delay due to excavation permit problem.

Engineer Arthur Gotardo, of JE Hydro and Bio-Energy Corporation, said their facility in Lusaran will supply the residents in the barangay and the areas of Lahug, Busay, Apas, Pit-os, Talamban, and Mandaue.

Gotardo said that their Lusaran project was among those that were stalled because the excavation permits were not acted upon by the previous administration at City Hall. It was only in May 10 that Mayor Raymond Garcia signed the permit after taking over the helm at City Hall following the suspension of mayor Michael Rama. The Office of the Ombudsman eventually dismissed Rama from service due to nepotism.

In a ceremony that was attended by Garcia, former MCWD chairman Joey Daluz and MCWD general manager Edgar Donoso in Lusaran yesterday, Gotardo said they will expand the project to other areas such as Cambinocot, Agsungot, Binaliw, and Budlaan, among others in the uplands.

Currently, Gotardo said they are supplying 30,000 cubic meters per day to at least 60,000 households since the beginning of their expansion in December 2022.

“Challenging kaayo ni among construction ani, actually nahug gyud nga wa na develop nga area kay lisod gyud sya himoan og pag-piping,” said Gotardo.

He added that it was also challenging because they had to lay pipes in areas with elevated terrain, as they are catering to the mountain areas. Gotardo also noted that they observed higher pressure in these areas due to the elevated terrain.

“So ang challenge is unsaon sad pagpugong nga dili mang buto ang downstream nga hose,” said Gotardo.

Gotardo said the overall water expansion project costs at least P1.3 billion, which includes the piping, water treatment facility, and other components.

Currently, the MCWD reports that more than 235 residents in Lusaran and over 303 in Pulangbato have applied for water service connections.

For his part, Garcia said that the provision of water supply reflects that “diplomacy works,” specifically referring to the harmonious relationship between the Cebu City Government and the MCWD, which he added was once strained.

“For as long as mabutang na gyud ang pipes, then there’s no reason mahatagan na gyud ni silag tubig, for the first time in forever,” said Garcia.

Daluz, who resigned from MCWD after filing his certificate of candidacy, said they started the project back in 2020 after realizing that the MCWD's distribution was reliant on deep wells, providing limited water supply. He added that this led to plans for the establishment of more dams and desalination projects, including the construction of the Lusaran Dam. Daluz further explained that while the project underwent rigorous processes, it was originally targeted to be operational in 2023.

Daluz, however, reiterated that they faced hurdles in commencing the expansion project when their application for excavation permits was not signed by Rama.

According to Daluz, the overall water expansion project is expected to conclude in February of next year.

Despite the ongoing water expansion project, Garcia said this does not mean the water supply challenge in the city’s mountain barangays has been resolved. These areas were once affected by the declaration of a water crisis due to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon.

Garcia explained that the demand for water will continue to increase, considering the rapid growth of infrastructures such as subdivisions. — /FPL (FREEMAN)