La Union towns to get potable water soon

DAGUPAN CITY—Residents of Agoo and Tubao towns in La Union wait with much anticipation the establishment of a modern water system that will help bring down the rate of waterborne diseases in communities there, a local official said.

Agoo Mayor Sandra Eriguel said it was her husband, Rep. Eufranio Eriguel, who worked for the installation of the water system in villages in La Union.

The project, she said, will be undertaken through the establishment of the Metro Agoo Waterworks Inc. (Mawi), a subsidiary of the Oriental Mindoro-based Calapan Waterworks Corp. (CWC).

Mayor Eriguel said the 1990 Luzon earthquake disrupted the water sources of Agoo and Tubao and the local water district can service only around 100 households.

“Most residents have deep wells but the water is not potable so they have to buy their drinking water,” she said by phone on Wednesday.

She said the feasibility study for the project showed that residents would pay less to the company than what they spend to buy potable water.

The waterworks system will be completed by October 2013.

In a press statement, Representative Eriguel said the project was “a dream come true for Agoo,” which has been suffering from lack of potable water since the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in 1990.

“You can just imagine living for 22 years without potable water…,” Representative Eriguel said.

A memorandum of agreement establishing the Mawi was signed by Mayor Eriguel, Tubao Mayor Dante Garcia, La Union Board Member Rolando Rivera, CWC chair Jolly Ting and Mawi president Roderick Ongcarranceja.

The water will be from Tubao and distributed to more than 26,000 Tubao residents and more than 63,000 residents of nearby Agoo.

A doctor, Representative Eriguel said the lack of potable water led to an increase in the number of waterborne diseases.

Ting assured residents and local officials that the modern and integrated water system under Mawi will produce high-quality and clean water for residents of Agoo and Tubao.

“Working together, we will produce clean water,” said Ting in a statement issued by Eriguel’s office.

“We will produce for you the basic element of survival—clean and potable water,” Ting said. Yolanda Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon