PrimeWater Bacolod and its joint venture partner, Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA), signed a bulk water supply agreement with the Bacolod Bulk Water Inc. (BBWI) to provide additional water supply to Bacolod City, on Tuesday afternoon, June 25, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said.
The signing of the bulk water supply agreement for the Injection Point 2 will address the current demand of the city by providing additional supply of 10,000 cubic meters or 10 million liters per day (MLD) on the first year, progressively increasing up to 25 MLD on the fifth year, a BACIWA-PrimeWater statement said.
. Set to be completed within the year, the additional water will improve the supply of around 10,000 households in Bacolod particularly in the southern part of the city in barangays Mansilingan, Handumanan, Felisa, Alijis, Tangub, Taculing, Pahanocoy, Sum-ag and Singcang, the statement said.
“As part of our commitment to provide more sustainable water supply to our consumers, we are progressively shifting from ground water to surface water,” Gladys Kempis, PrimeWater Operations head for Visayas and Mindanao, said.
“This initiative underscores our commitment to enhance water services and provide sustainable supply to our consumers,” Roberto Fabrique Jr., PrimeWater president, said
As of today the water production for Bacolod’s needs is at its highest at almost 84 MLD and supply has reached some areas that have had no water at all, said Benitez, who witnessed the bulk waters agreement signing at his office.
“We have the largest water production in history now… The highest water production in Bacolod in the past was only at 78 MLD,” Benitez said.
“This is the result of numerous initiatives we sought to increase supply,” he said.
PrimeWater is also set to tap water from the Matab-ang River soon, he said.
The mayor said he is optimistic that the target of 120 MLD for Bacolod can be reached before the end of 2024.
But Benitez said he is still open to allowing another water concessionaire operate in Bacolod City.
He is just waiting for the water security plan that he asked BACIWA to provide, Benitez said.*