PrimeWater promised that in six months there will be a significant improvement in water services in Bacolod City following a Water Summit called by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on Friday, January 19.
Benitez told Bacolod City Water District-PrimeWater officials that their delivery of water for only two hours a day in some areas of Bacolod is not right, it is unacceptable. Water supply should be delivered 24/7, he stressed.
Sources of water were identified during the summit to solve the 20 MLD (millions of liter per day) supply shortage in Bacolod, the mayor said.
Bacolod Bulk Water Inc. assured the supply of 15MLD from the Murcia side, while 5 MLD more will come from spring water in Barangay Alangilan, Benitez said.
They said the delivery of the water supply will happen in six months but if the city government helps hasten the release of permits and clearances it could be possible in two to three months, Benitez said.
Murcia Mayor Gerry Rojas and Talisay Mayor Neil Lizares, who were at the summit, assured Benitez of their support in providing water from their areas to help Bacolod City. The representative of Bago City was also at the summit, the mayor said.
Benitez said he is still entertaining the entry of a second water concessionaire in Bacolod City to further improve water services. A Manila concessionaire has written to him and he is waiting for their final letter of intent for a joint venture agreement.
“In an environment where there is competition the service always improves,” Benitez said.
Ernie Delco, PrimeWater technical audit group head, said his firm is committing P36 million in the next six months and more than P80 million in the second half of 2024 to improve water services in Bacolod.
PrimeWater is undertaking the massive repair of 600 pipeline leaks in 30 days to save a huge volume of water in Bacolod, and putting in new pipelines covering 23 kilometers, Delco said.
They have already replaced about 35 kilometers of pipelines in Bacolod, he added.
They will do their best to provide water 24/7 when all the bulk water supply needed comes in, he said.
Delco said the significant improvement in six months means they will be able to provide 24/7 water supply in 70 percent of the Baciwa-PrimeWater coverage area.
PrimeWater assured that it will act on the complaints of only two hours of water supply a day in some areas of Bacolod.
“We will not rest, we will do our homework, every day we will monitor the improvement in Bacolod,” Delco assured.*