• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Joint venture partners PrimeWater and the Bacolod City Water District signed June 25 an agreement with the Bacolod Bulk Water Inc. (BBWI) to provide additional water supply for the southern barangays of the city.
The bulk water supply agreement for Injection Point 2 “will address the current demand of the city by providing additional supply of 10,000 cubic meters, or 10 million liters per day (MLD), on the first year of the deal,” the water concessioner said, adding the supply will “progressively increase up to 25MLD on the fifth year” of the deal.
The negotiation for the BBWI Injection Point 2 is one of the initiatives outlined by PrimeWater president Roberto Fabrique Jr. in his letter to Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez dated April 28 this year.
Benitez witnessed the signing of the agreement in his office Tuesday afternoon.
The deal, set to be completed within the year, targets to improve the water supply of around 10,000 households in the south areas of Bacolod, including barangays Mansilingan, Handumanan, Felisa, Alijis, Tangub, Taculing, Pahanocoy, Sum-ag, and Singcang.
“As part of our commitment to provide a more sustainable water supply to our consumers, we are progressively shifting from ground water to surface water to efficiently improve the water supply and quality in the city,” Engr. Gladys Kempis, PrimeWater Operations head for Visayas and Mindanao, said in a statement.
This is also part of Baciwa-PrimeWater’s commitment to addressing the water supply needs in the highly-urbanized Bacolod, she said.
PrimeWater and Baciwa are implementing targeted solutions and initiatives that will ensure improved water access and quality across Bacolod.
“This initiative underscores our commitment to enhance water services and provide sustainable supply to our consumers,” Fabrique said.
Benitez, in a press conference prior to the agreement signing, said he is still waiting for the water security plan he earlier sought from Baciwa-PrimeWater, although he noted that the water supply scarcity in Bacolod has already been eased, especially with the start of the rainy season.
He said the city targets 120MLD, and around 84MLD is now reportedly available, following several initiatives, like getting 5MLD of water from the Bocal-Bocal Spring in Barangay Alangilan, the Forbes Hill pumping station project, and the activation of the Highland Hills Subdivision water source, among others. | CGC
