Cobi makes water district’s idle Camaman-an reservoir useful

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent .

THE Cagayan de Oro Bulk Water Inc. (Cobi) yesterday turned over to the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) a newly rehabilitated and retrofitted Camaman-an reservoir that would be used to significantly improve the water supply in several eastern barangays of the city.

Officials said the reservoir rehabilitation is part of efforts to increase the water supply in the eastern areas of the city by 20 million liters a day before year-end.

Mayor Oscar Moreno said the Camaman-an facility had been non-functional for decades.

Cobi general manager Rodrigo Yabut formally turned over the completed project to COWD general manager Bienvenido Batar Jr. in Camaman-an. Among those who graced the turnover rites were Moreno, Cobi president Laurence Rogero, and COWD chairman Eduardo Montalvan.

It was Cobi that spent some P26 million for the retrofitting and water proofing of the COWD reservoir.

Yabut said it is now COWD’s responsibility to take care of the facility.

The project is part of Cobi’s P251-million investment to increase its delivery of treated water to COWD for eastern barangays of the city. The investment includes laying down a nine-kilometer pipeline (600 millimeters in diameter) from Sitio Taguanao in Barangay Indahag to the newly rehabilitated Camaman-an reservoir.

Yabut said Cobi expects to boost the water supply for the eastern areas later this month or in early December. It would benefit some 15 thousand   households in barangays Camaman-an, Lapasan and Gusa.

Batar said the reservoir, which has a capacity of 5,300 cubic meters, has not been used for over 20 years because of COWD’s inability to bring treated water to the village.

Batar said Cobi has agreed to supply 40 million liters of treated water a day for the eastern section of the city.

The first 20 million liters are expected this year, and 20 million liters more would be delivered to COWD during the second phase.

Moreno called the undertaking a “milestone” in the efforts to make the water supply cope with the increasing demands of the growing city. He said the COWD is taking the right direction.