Desalination to help solve water issues in Lapu-Lapu

CEBU, Philippines — Lapu-Lapu City officials met with the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) representatives to discuss details of a proposed supply contract for a first-ever desalinated seawater plant that will address its water supply shortage.

Mayor Junard Chan had invited MCWD officials, led by OIC General Manager Jorge Gabriente, to discuss the water district’s plans and where the city government can help.

Chan said they are supportive of MCWD in finding ways to solve the water supply problem.

Gabriente, in a statement, said that MCWD has identified four supply delivery points in Lapu-Lapu City and in the town of Cordova to address the supply-demand gap as part of its medium-term solutions.

The water demand in Metro Cebu is estimated at 500,000 cubic meters per day which has surpassed the water produced by MCWD at 238,000 cubic meters per day.

MCWD said that the supply contract will be done through a bidding by MCWD since it is a government owned and controlled corporation.

The bidding is necessary to determine the terms of the supply agreement between the city and MCWD, most especially the price of water per cubic meter sold to the water district.

“MCWD will then compute an adjustment to the water rates that the consumers need to be informed about and when it will be implemented,” the statement read.

Last October 22, 2019, Chan and officials of CitiCore Summa Water signed a memorandum of agreement for two desalination plants in the city that will be built within 18 months.

During the meeting last October 28, Gabriente had identified Barangays Punta Engaño and Marigondon as the most “thirsty” areas in the city and said the new supply could be most beneficial to the residents there.

MCWD added that an initial volume of 20,000 cubic meters per day will help address the problem of intermittent supply in these areas, which are located at the tip of MCWD’s distribution system in the island.

MCWD further said that its distribution pipes are ready to absorb this volume immediately as new pipes will be installed for any additional volume in the future. (FREEMAN)