City strips firm of permit to supply water to 13,000 homes
LEGAZPI CITY—A firm supplying water to the government-owned Legazpi City Water District (LCWD) faces possible closure after the city government revoked its business permit on Monday for alleged failure to provide clean potable water.
Philippine Hydro Inc. (Phil-Hydro) obtained a contract to supply the LCWD with bulk water in March 2007. The firm had said its new technology, which taps water from rivers instead of springs, could convert surface water into “bottled water quality.”
It invested P500 million to operate the facility that provides 600,000 cubic meters of water monthly to the water district. In turn, the LCWD pays Phil-Hydro P8.1 million a month for the water currently distributes to at least 13,000 households.
Since last year, however, the city government has been been receiving complaints from consumers that water from the Phil-Hydro facility was murky and foul smelling, according to city administrator Noel Rosal.
Among the complainants were the Community Organization of the Philippine Enterprises (COPE) Foundation Inc., Entrepinay Legazpi chapter, and the Legazpi City Planning and Development Council.
Rosal said the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s (SP) committee on public utilities acted on the complaints and conducted a series of hearings and public consultations.
He said water samples taken from the four pipelines of Phil-Hydro, six LCWD pipelines and six household water connections were tested by the Department of Health (DOH) and “found positive for E. coli bacteria contamination.” E. coli comes from human and animal wastes.
Rosal said a notice of violation was served to Phil-Hydro in June and the company was given 60 days to comply with the DOH requirements. The deadline expired on Aug. 21, but the company has failed to do so.
Nestor Santiago, health regional director, who recommended the order to revoke Phil-Hydro’s business permit to Mayor Geraldine Rosal, said the firm violated the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines or Presidential Decree No. 856.
He said the firm failed to secure an “initial permit” from the DOH to develop a drinking water supply system.
Santiago said it did not secure an “operational permit” after completing construction of its water supply system and starting to distribute water to households.
The city administrator acknowledged that closing the firm would reduce the volume of water being supplied to the city. But, he said, “choosing between supply and quality of water, I would choose the latter.”
Barbie Imperial Borromeo, LCWD general manager, said in a text message that the water district’s board had already informed Phil-Hydro about the order to revoke its business permit.
Officials of the LCWD, she said, would be meeting to discuss the effects of the order on the city’s water supply.
