• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Murcia Water District will apprise stakeholders today, May 3, of its proposed additional surface water supply project in barangays San Miguel, Buenavista, Alegria, Sta. Cruz, and Canlandog in the town, and the assembly will be held at the Murcia Municipal function hall.
The public scoping is an early stage in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process where the proponent aims to provide an overview of the proposed project, and to hear and collate issues and concerns and other relevant information on the scope of work and terms of reference for the preparation of the environmental impact statement, the Environmental Management Bureau of the DENR in Western Visayas explained.
As per the proposal, the additional water supply will be sourced out from five rivers – Pula River, Caliban River, Magsungay River, Magsungay River Grande, and Puncian River, with estimated capacities of 60 million liters of water per day (MLD), 90MLD, 25MLD, 80MLD, and 80MLD, respectively.
These additional water supply sources are within the municipality.
Magsungay River Grande, situated in Barangay Sta. Cruz, has an estimated 115,000 square meter of land allotted for the project; Caliban River in Brgy. Buenavista, 51,000 sq. m. allotted; Magsungay River source point within Brgy. Alegria, 42,000 sq. m. land to be leased; Puncian River in Canlandog, 137,000 square meters of land; and Pula River in San Miguel will use 12,000 square meters of land, the project brief submitted to EMB states.
“All additional water sources will only add impoundment basin for each sources and will be distributed through gravity since the source location is more elevated than the main plant where it will be treated by chlorination,” it said, adding that no pumps and power sources, such as generator sets, will be installed in the proposed additional sources.
All point sources are outside the protected areas of the Northern Negros Natural Park and the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park.
The proposed project aims to ensure an uninterrupted delivery of potable water to the consumers and concessionaires of the Murcia Water District, it added. | CGC
