The Cebu Manila Water Development Inc. (CMWDI) revealed in a recent meeting with Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia that it is losing about 2 to 3 million liters per day (MLD) due to pipe leaks.
Garcia advised CMWDI Executive Director Christian Batallones that water interruptions due to pipe leaks should not be fixed with a patching solution.
She strongly opposed the interruption of water supply, especially since more tourists come to the Sinulog celebrations at this time.
The governor stressed that a 12-hour water supply disruption would place too much burden on consumers and businesses in Cebu.
CMWDI serves the cities of Compostela, Liloan and Consolacion; as well as the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Cebu City through its 34.8-kilometer water pipeline.
“It’s pretty unfair, isn’t it,” Garcia told Batallones, as she suspects the leak may have been caused by too much pressure on the pipes, which are only rated for 35 MLD, but designed for the increased volume of 38 MLD are.
The governor noted that CMWDI has over-complied with its water commitments: instead of the 35 MLD required by the joint venture agreement, the company is now delivering 38 MLD.
Garcia suggested replacing the entire pipe segment as he is considering expanding CMWDI’s water commitment from 35 MLD to up to 45 MLD as Cebu’s water demand increases instead of repairing the leaks through welding.
“Let’s not just build for today. Let’s build for the future, for Cebuanos in 15 years,” Garcia reiterated.
She added that CMWDI should take stock of its pipes and develop a plan to make them withstand the additional pressure of increased water volume.
CMWDI is a joint venture between the Province of Cebu and the Enrique Razon-led Manila Water Consortium. It collects and treats 35 million liters of surface water daily from the Luyang River in Carmen City and sells it to the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD).
CMWDI should implement a 12-hour water supply interruption to compensate for the 700-millimeter pipe repair leak in Danao City.
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