• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Baciwa-PrimeWater Bacolod said May 31 that an additional five million liters per day (MLD) of water supply have been injected into their pipelines from the Bocal-Bocal Spring in Barangay Alangilan, Bacolod City.
This aims to “enhance the water supply and pressure in barangays 27, 28, 29, 30, and Villamonte, Villa Angela Subdivision, Hervias 1 and 2, Villa Ramos, La Salle Avenue, and Eroreco”, the water concessioner said.
Continuous water pressure monitoring and system adjustments are being done to ensure that pressure will be increased in these areas, the PrimeWater said.
Technical teams are also proactively deployed to address leakages and broken pipes brought about by the change of pressure in the pipelines, it added.
Farah Jenny Monteclaro, PrimeWater branch manager, said in a statement that they are “consistently looking for solutions to address the water supply requirements” of the highly-urbanized city. “We remain committed to serving the needs of our customers in Bacolod.”
Mayor Alfredo Benitez, meanwhile, urged residents, especially in the target areas, to let him know if, indeed, there will be improvements.
In April, Benitez rebuked the Bacolod City Water District and PrimeWater for their failure to abide by a provision in their Joint Venture Agreement to ensure a “24-hour water supply by the end of the JVA’s second year”, or by November 2022.
“Four years into the JVA, nakit-an naton nga wala concrete improvement and daw wala tikang to make it more efficient and also the supply of 24-hour uninterrupted water service sa mga customers,” the mayor had said, adding he asked Baciwa to furnish him a list of violations of PrimeWater for possible renegotiation, or termination of the JVA.
PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. president Roberto Fabrique Jr., in his April 28 letter to Benitez, acknowledged the “significant water challenges…and the inconvenienced these may cause to the community.”
But he said the company is committed to addressing these issues by exploring measures and implementing targeted solutions to improve the water supply and quality in Bacolod.
Fabrique said that among the various initiatives is the signing of contract with Home Invest Holdings Inc. for Bocal-Bocal Spring that will help improve water availability, especially in the north side of Bacolod. | CGC
