THE METROPOLITAN Cebu Water District (MCWD) has appealed to consumers to conserve water as supply continues to dwindle with the onslaught of the weak el niño phenomenon. MCWD spokesperson Charmaine Rodriguez-Kara said water supply started decreasing in the last week of Feb. by at least 9,000 cubic meters per day (cu.m./d). This has affected 9,000 water connections in Talisay City and elevated areas in Cebu City like Banawa, Sambag, 1, and the uptown area. Ms. Karat said these areas are experiencing reduced service hours or water rationing. As of Wednesday, the Jaclupan well was down to 27,000 cu.m./d from 33,000, while the Buhisan dam in Cebu City was down to 2,500 cu.m./d from 6,000. MCWD’s biggest supply comes from the Luyang River in Carmen at 35,000 cu.m/d, which is covered by a bulk water supply contract between the MCWD, the Cebu Manila Water Development Inc., and the Cebu provincial government. Ms. Kara said that in Metro Cebu, more than 69% of the water supply comes from groundwater sources, which is not affected directly by the shortage of rainfall. However, surface water sources that supply both the northern and southern portion of MCWD’s service area are affected by the El Niño phenomenon. MCWD is currently developing four wells in separate locations in its service area this year to augment water supply, she added. Talks are also ongoing between the provincial and Cebu City governments to drill ground water in government-owned lots to augment daily water production. In total, MCWD is exploring over 30 wells in the entire service area — some privately owned and others owned by government. — The Freeman

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