𝐃𝐂𝐖𝐃: 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐨 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐥 𝐍𝐢ñ𝐨

The Davao City Water District (DCWD) on Wednesday stated that Davao City has a surplus of drinking water supply amid the looming El Niño phenomenon.

"Dako gihapon ang surplus sa atong water supply kumpara sa atong demand (Our water supply still has a large surplus compared to our demand)," Jovana Cresta Duhaylungsod, DCWD spokesperson, said during the AFP-PNP Press Conference at the Apo View Hotel on Wednesday.

She noted that on a daily basis, the production capacity of DCWD is 728 million liters, while the daily demand is only 52 percent of that capacity.

"We still have 48 percent that we consider as surplus water to absorb service connections, considering that we are still in the stage of ramping up our expansion, especially in District 2 areas. At the same time, these surplus, gamiton pud as part of our contingency supply in case naa gyud epekto ang huwaw sa supply sa tubig sa atong siyudad (we will also use this as part of our contingency supply in case the drought really affects the city's water supply)," she said.

Earlier, the City Agriculturist Office (CAgrO) said it was also ensuring adequate water supply for farmers with its existing solar-powered irrigation pumps. The office also intends to purchase additional portable solar powered irrigation pumps.

The CAgrO also mapping for additional sources even as it plans to request fire trucks to deliver water to areas that might need supply.

As hydration is necessary during a dry spell, Duhaylungsod said they are conducting strategic initiatives to optimize distribution. She added that they are also continuously developing new sources.

Currently, surface water provides the bulk of the supply, producing 300 million liters daily; this volume is complemented by water from deep wells.

"Gina-optimize nato ang atong surface water. Gina-optimize nato nga atong surface water ang atong gina-distribute meaning kadtong ground water source, production wells, it is only around 20 percent ang atong ginapaandar. Meaning nay 80 percent are on standby lang (We are optimizing our surface water. We are making sure that the water we distribute comes primarily from surface water sources. This means that our groundwater sources, or production wells, are operating at only about 20 percent. In other words, 80 percent of them are just on standby)," she said.

Duhaylungsod explained that they will only make the remaining 80 percent of the wells operational if the need arises—specifically if there is a shortage in the surface water supply or if the number of service connections increases significantly.

Additionally, she mentioned that DCWD continues to provide technical assistance to barangays not served by the district to ensure the effective management and maintenance of their local water systems.

"In preparing for the possible impact sa El Niño, two-way process gyud ni siya: DCWD will make sure that there will be sufficient supply for our customers but in the same way, we are also encouraging our customers, padayon gihapon sa pagpondo og tubig to have contingency supply all the time because there will be water interruptions—that's a reality considering naa gyud mga leaking. Naa ta'y mga expansion activities and we need to tap pipelines, that will result in water interruptions on the part of customers. It will be a big help kanunay mo naay tubig, padayon ang pondo sa supply in clean and covered containers (In preparing for the possible impact of El Niño, this is really a two-way process. DCWD will ensure that there is a sufficient water supply for our customers, but at the same time, we are also encouraging customers to continue storing water and to always have a contingency supply, since water interruptions are a reality—especially due to leaks. We also have ongoing expansion activities that require tapping pipelines, which will result in water interruptions for customers. It will be a big help if households always have stored water, kept in clean and covered containers)," Duhaylungsod said. CIO

Written by: K. Canedo

Edited by: A. Nawal

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