By CESAR JOLITO III
The Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) clarified that the cause of the murky tap water reported in several barangays was due to a “valving” operation conducted by Primewater Bacolod at its main valve in Ramylu, Barangay Tangub, explaining that measures are being taken to address the issue.
Baciwa General Manager Mona Dia Jardin said the operation adjusts the valve opening to increase water supply.
“When the valve is opened after decades of not being used, sediments that have settled in the pipes get dislodged and mix with the water,” Jardin explained.
Primewater reportedly plans more valving activities in the coming weeks.
However, Jardin said they will coordinate with the Liga ng mga Barangay to ensure residents are properly informed of their operations beforehand.
Jardin added that Primewater’s current water supply capacity has reached 108 million liters per day, which is expected to suffice and improve the distribution across the city.
Meanwhile, Baciwa-Primewater has yet to receive a copy of the resolution recently approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod urging the company to address complaints of murky and possibly contaminated tap water in affected barangays.
Brokered deal
A looming water crisis that could have disrupted supply to thousands of Bacolod residents was averted yesterday, after Mayor Greg Gasataya mediated between Baciwa-PrimeWater and its bulk water supplier, Bacolod Bulk Water Incorporated (BBWI).
The emergency agreement was reached just hours before BBWI was set to announce the shutdown of its Sum-ag Water Treatment Plant at Barangay Salvacion in Negros Occidental’s Murcia town.
BBWI, which provides 40 percent of Baciwa-PrimeWater’s supply through its Granada and Sum-ag facilities, had threatened to halt operations over unpaid invoices for May and June 2025.
Eight barangays in Bacolod — Sum-ag, Cabug, Felisa, Handumanan, Mansilingan, Punta Taytay, Pahanocoy, and Tangub — faced the risk of significant supply cuts, as they relied heavily on the Mansilingan Reservoir fed by BBWI’s plants.
“The effect on the city would have been severe,” Gasataya said.
“We already had a water turbidity problem, and if there had been a cutoff, it would have created an even bigger problem,” he added.
Under the brokered deal, Baciwa-PrimeWater committed to paying its outstanding dues, while both utilities agreed to establish long-term payment protocols to avoid similar disputes in the future.
The mediation took place during what was initially scheduled as a courtesy call at the Mayor’s Office, attended by Baciwa-PrimeWater’s Jardin, PrimeWater and BBWI executives, and city officials.
The city government confirmed that water services remain uninterrupted, with both utilities working on measures to stabilize supply and prevent recurrence of the dispute./CJ, WDJ