Drop in Cebu water supply prompts rationing to households

ALMOST DRY: Sereno Maloloy-on, Buhisan Dam on plant sub station helper b of Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) examing the dried soil that use to be a water level of Buhisan dam in barangay Buhisan Cebu City. Because of the summer heat the water drop to more than haft of the dam that supplies the City of cebu and other part of Metro cebu.(PHOTOS/WENCESLAO “JUNJIE” H. MENDOZA, JR.)

CEBU CITY — One of the two major dams of a water district here has reported zero water production starting Monday.

The Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) said its Buhisan Dam located in an upland village in Cebu City used to produce 6,000 cubic meters daily. Now, the dam has almost dried up it could no longer supply water to at least 6,000 households.

Water production in its Jaclupan Dam in Talisay City went down to 19,000 cu m from 33,000 cu m, said MCWD spokesperson Charmaine Rodriguez-Kara.

The drop in the water supply prompted MCWD to schedule water interruptions in its franchise area.

The MCWD services more than 183,000 connections in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay, and Lapu-Lapu as well as the towns of Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela and Cordova.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services (Pagasa) station in Mactan noticed an 80-percent drop in the average rainfall in Cebu in February and March.

Weather specialist Netherlen Saletrero said the dry spell would worsen in April and May.

ALMOST DRY: Sereno Maloloy-on, Buhisan Dam on plant sub station helper b of Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) examing the dried soil that use to be a water level of Buhisan dam in barangay Buhisan Cebu City. Because of the summer heat the water drop to more than haft of the dam that supplies the City of cebu and other part of Metro cebu.(PHOTOS/WENCESLAO “JUNJIE” H. MENDOZA, JR.)

Read more...