DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 15 March) – The Davao City Water District (DCWD) assured consumers here that there is sufficient water here despite the El Niño.
Lawyer Bernardo D. Delima, DCWD spokesperson, said on Friday at least 99.3 percent of the supply comes from aquifer or groundwater source, making it less susceptible to the impact of El Niño that is currently affecting several parts of the country.
“Our ground wells have a depth of 150 to 200 meters,” he said.
He added that areas relying on surface water sources like rivers and dams are most likely affected by El Niño.
The city is expected to tap surface water, specifically the Tamugan River, as the Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc., a joint venture between Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) and J.V. Angeles Construction Corporation (JVACC), started the construction of the P12-billion Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project (DCBWSP) in November 2019.
Based on the joint venture agreement, the Apo Agua takes charge of the water extraction and treatment while DCWD for the water distribution. The project will have the capacity to supply over 300 million liters of potable water daily upon its completion in 2021.
The DCWD has 220,000 service connections at present.
Data released by the DCWD indicate that average water consumption of the city is around 220 million liters of water daily and 306 million liters average daily production.
Advisory released by the Philippine, Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) released last March 8 said that “recent conditions suggest that this phenomenon will likely to continue until the April-May-June 2019 season and that varying impacts are now occurring in most areas in the country.”
Weather forecast this March indicated that rainfall below normal to way below normal are expected in Luzon, Visayas, and Northern Mindanao and near to above normal rainfall conditions in Surigao del Sur, Davao Region, and Soccsksargen in Mindanao.
PAGASA reported that it is expected that at least 21 provinces are potential for dry conditions, 41 provinces potential for a dry spell, and 10 provinces potential for drought.
The provinces that will likely experience dry conditions are Ifugao, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Bulacan, Aurora, and Rizal in Luzon; Guimaras, Bohol, Cebu, Siquijor, and Southern Leyte in Visayas; and Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Compostela Valley, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Basilan, and Lanao del Sur in Mindanao.
Provinces that will less likely experience dry spell are Abra, Benguet, Kalinga, Apayao, Mountain Province, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Metro Manila, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Marinduque, Romblon, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon in Luzon; Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, and Western Samar in Visayas; and Zamboanga del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao.
Those provinces that will likely be affected by drought are Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, and Palawan in Luzon, and Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Maguindanao, and Sulu in Mindanao. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
