By CESAR JOLITO III
Concerns over a looming water shortage are intensifying as supply levels decline, prompting calls for urgent intervention from both government and utility providers.
Bacolod City Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez sounded the alarm, warning that dwindling water resources could disrupt households, businesses, schools, and essential services across the city.
He urged water providers to act swiftly, stressing their responsibility to ensure uninterrupted service to consumers.
Benitez called on PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. and Bacolod City Water District to immediately implement contingency measures to prevent the situation from escalating into a full-scale crisis.
He also appealed to residents to adopt stricter water conservation practices as supply pressures grow.
City officials, meanwhile, are preparing response measures as the dry season intensifies.
City Administrator Mark Steven Mayo said Mayor Greg Gasataya has already directed utility providers to submit a detailed status report and action plan.
According to Mayo, existing contingency efforts include water deliveries to affected communities, with the city government offering to deploy a dedicated team to assist in distribution, particularly in hard-hit areas.
“The priority is to prevent any service interruption. We cannot afford a water crisis, especially during the peak of the dry season,” Mayo said.
Authorities identified northern Bacolod as among the most affected areas, with the city awaiting detailed data from utility providers to better target interventions.
Compounding the issue is the city’s heavy reliance on bulk water supply.
Around half of Bacolod’s water comes from Bacolod Bulk Water Inc. (BBWI), making the system vulnerable to disruptions at the source.
This vulnerability was highlighted after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Environmental Management Bureau ordered a halt to a key expansion project of BBWI.
The agency issued a cease and desist order against the company’s Water Supply Injection 2 Expansion Project in Murcia for operating without the required amended Environmental Compliance Certificate.
The order, issued by Regional Director Vicente Losbañes, also included a P70,000 penalty.
The action stemmed from complaints by residents of Barangay Caliban, who raised concerns over the project’s potential impact on the river’s water supply.
With supply constraints, regulatory issues, and peak seasonal demand converging, both local officials and lawmakers are pushing for coordinated action to stabilize Bacolod’s water situation and prevent widespread disruption in the coming weeks./CJ, WDJ