Beja denies Rio Verde water supply improved 2 Sundays ago

By NITZ ARANCON
and LITO RULONA
Correspondents

THE Cagayan de Oro Water District has frowned over Rio Verde Water Consortium Inc.’s claim that it started pumping 38 thousand cubic meters a day into COWD’s water stations since Oct. 1 or two Sundays ago.

COWD general manager Rachel Beja told a news conference on Friday that the bulk water supplier only delivered that volume of treated water for four hours since the start of the water crisis in late September.

Beja’s denial came after Rio Verde senior vice president for operations Joffrey Hapitan told a city council committee last week that it has been delivering 38 thousand of the contracted 40 thousand cubic meters per day since Oct. 1.

“Dili  gyud  tino-od nang ilang gi-ingon,” Beja told reporters.

She said Rio Verde has been delivering only 1,200 cubic meters a day since the bulk water supplier started repairing its damaged main steel pipe near the Emmanuel Pelaez Bridge in Indahag in September.

Beja said the water pressure from Rio Verde’s end has become very problematic.

“Pareho ra ba na kon ang tubig imong ibobo diha sa salog, unya walay pressure, dili gyud na modagan,” she explained.

Beja was apologetic for the water crisis that has been gripping half of the city and Opol town in Misamis Oriental since Sept. 26, acknowledging that the responsibility for the city’s water supply ultimately falls on the COWD.

“Bisan pag unsa-on namo pag-ingon nga ang hinongdan sa water crisis ang pagka da-ot sa main pipeline sa Rio Verde, dili gihapon kami makalikay sa kaulaw sa  katawhan, kay kami man ang na-ay obligayon sa among mga consumers,” Beja said.

The COWD has written to Mayor Oscar Moreno and the Bureau of Fire Protection in order to request for assistance in the delivery of treated water to areas badly affected by the crisis.

Beja said until Rio Verde finishes the pipeline repair, COWD could not guarantee a sufficient supply of treated water.

On Saturday or a day after Rio Verde promised to resume the delivery of 40 thousand cubic meters a day, COWD said the bulk water supplier merely pumped 1,500 cubic meters per hour with a pressure of 23 psi into its offtake point “hence, still low pressure to no water to the west service area.”

COWD said water delivery would continue to be facilitated.

Although water from COWD sources is safe, it said that “due to circumstances that may happen during transport, handling and storage, boiling water for drinking is advised.”