Potable drinking water is being rationed to about 12,000 residents of two barangays in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, whose water sources were clogged and polluted by ash and sulfur spewed by Kanlaon Volcano during its 56-minute explosive eruption on Tuesday, April 8.
Three springs in Barangay Araal where the La Carlota City Water District taps water have been affected, La Carlota City Mayor Rex Jalandoon said on Thursday, April 10.
The ash covered the spring boxes, he said.
This has affected 3,000 households or about 12,000 residents of barangays Araal and San Miguel.
Affected are two Balagacay springs and one Guintubdan spring in Araal, he said.
Water at the Guintubdan spring has gradually returned but they are still determining if it is potable, he said.
One spring in Balagacay is clogged and the other is contaminated, Jalandoon said.
So they will have to continue to ration water to residents until the clogged water sources are cleared and the water is tested to determine if it is safe for drinking, Jalandoon said.
The clearing operation is being done by the La Carlota City Water District.
Meanwhile, the Negros Occidental provincial government, Cadiz City and Sagay City have sent their water filtration trucks to the affected areas, to augment the water filtration machine of La Carlota City, he said.
Jalandoon said 5,000 jerrycans have been distributed to residents who line up to get potable water from the water filtration trucks that go to Araal and San Miguel.
The Philippine Red Cross has also sent two water tankers to deliver tested and safe water, he said.
“We should be concerned because water is a need, and for now they cannot use their regular sources of water. We hope after a few days or a week their water sources will clear up and they can start using them again,” Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said.
The eruption on Tuesday did not cause more evacuations as Kanlaon Volcano remains under Alert Level 3, he said.
There are 5,673 displaced Negros Occidental residents who have been living in 14 evacuation centers since Kanlaon erupted on Dec. 9.
Lacson said the provincial government also has a water filtration truck that provides potable water to displaced residents in La Castellana’s evacuation centers.
The provincial government is continuing to provide food to displaced residents in evacuation centers, he added.
They have also provided face masks, medicines and nebules for nebulizers, and sent medical teams to La Carlota and La Castellana following Tuesday’s eruption, Lacson said.
The provincial government has also provided diesel for firetrucks to flush roads covered in ash, he said.
The eruption did not cause damage to farm animals but he is still waiting for the report on crop damage, Lacson said.*