663K liters of water delivered to El Niño-affected residents

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD CITY — The city government and its partners have delivered 663,500 liters of water to residents affected by the ongoing El Niño phenomenon.

As of April, a total of 33,966 households in 18 barangays have benefited from the “Patubig sa Barangay” program. These barangays include 27, 29, 30, 31, 40, Alijis, Bata, Cabug, Estefania, Felisa, Handumanan, Mandalagan, Mansilingan, Singcang-Airport, Sum-ag, Tangub, Taculing, and Villamonte.

The program, which started last month following an order by Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, serves an average of 1,550 households daily, distributing an average of 36,642 liters of water each day due to some areas experiencing water shortages exacerbated by El Niño.

PrimeWater and the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) recently shared a water availability map on Facebook, highlighting areas severely affected by El Niño. Areas with 0-4 hours of water availability include Handumanan, Tangub, Mandalagan, Felisa, Vista Alegre, Villamonte, Taculing, Alijis, Sum-ag, Mansilingan, Barangay 40, and Banago.

Benitez noted that the city currently requires 125 million liters per day (MLD) of water, while PrimeWater has a capacity of 70 MLD, which has decreased to 50 MLD due to the drought.

In a recent meeting, PrimeWater officials assured Mayor Benitez of an increased water supply starting in 2025, reaching up to 50 MLD by 2028. They also presented immediate and long-term solutions to address the city’s water concerns.

To mitigate the effects of El Niño, PrimeWater and Baciwa have deployed 24 water tanks, each with a 2,000-liter capacity, in 12 identified barangays. PrimeWater also operates five water trucks, with a total capacity of 53 cubic meters, for daily water rationing and delivery.

As part of the immediate and long-term solutions, an additional five MLD from Bocal-Bocal Spring will enhance water production on the north side of Bacolod and is expected to be operational by the second week of May.

There is also an ongoing pipeline and interconnection project from Forbes Hill to North Circumferential Road that will improve water supply in the areas of Eroreco, and Barangays Bata and Mandalagan by the end of May.

An additional 10-25 MLD from a Bacolod bulk water supplier is expected by the last quarter of this year, and a further 30 MLD from the bulk water supplier, NNHI, by the first quarter of 2026, increasing to 50 MLD in subsequent years to enhance the water supply in the southern areas of the city.

Furthermore, the construction of a Water Treatment Plant at Matab-ang River will provide three MLD within six months and is expected to increase to 15-20 MLD the following year.

Mayor Benitez has requested Baciwa to develop a water security plan that addresses not only the effects of El Niño but also provides a comprehensive planning perspective for water supply.