Firms assure clean water supply for Mayon evacuees

STAYING COOL A boy uses a pail and dipper to save on water as he bathes at an evacuation center in Albay province. —MARK ALVIC ESPLANA

The country’s biggest water service providers have joined forces to help people displaced by the eruption of Mt. Mayon with the deployment of mobile water treatment plants (MTPs) across eight cities and towns in Albay province.

Manila Water Co. Inc. sent out three such facilities to Legazpi City and the towns of Daraga and Camalig.

Maynilad Water Services Inc., the other concessionaire of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), also sent MTPs to Tabaco City and the towns of Malilipot and Sto. Domingo.

The needs of affected communities in Guinobatan town and Ligao City would be served by the state agency MWSS.

Lack of potable water

Manila Water said these efforts were being done in light of the “health crisis” in evacuation centers in Albay due to lack of potable water.

It said diarrhea cases in evacuation centers had risen in recent days as a result of shortage of supply of safe drinking water.

“As evacuees continue to be away from their homes, we are hoping that the mobile treatment plants will be able to help ease their discomfort and prevent more of them from getting ill by providing much-needed … potable water,” MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco said in a joint statement.

Manila Water said each of its MTPs could treat and convert any type of raw water—river water, floodwater or salt water—into drinking water.

Each treatment facility produces about 3,000 liters of drinking water per hour and can operate up to 12 hours a day.

Maynilad said its own treatment facility could produce about 7,000 gallons of water daily, which was enough to meet the daily drinking requirements of some 17,000 people.

Aid from Metro mayors

Albay will also receive financial and logistical help from Metro Manila mayors.

In an emergency meeting on Wednesday, the Metro Manila Council (MMC) agreed to pool funds from local disaster risk reduction and management councils (DRRMCs) to assist local governments severely affected by Mayon’s eruption.

Jojo Garcia, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) assistant general manager for planning, said each local government would contribute a minimum of P500,000.

This means that the MMC, the policymaking body of the MMDA composed of 17 Metro Manila mayors, will pool at least P7.5 million. —REPORTS FROM RONNEL W. DOMINGO AND DEXTER CABALZA