How MPIW Plans to Address Iloilo City’s Water Shortage

By Francis Allan L. Angelo and Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) has already unveiled a series of measures aimed at addressing the persistent water supply issues in Iloilo City.

These efforts, revealed prior to the recent water shortage, come in response to calls from local officials for sustainable solutions to the city’s growing demand for water.

MPIW is focusing on a mix of short- and long-term strategies to improve water access.

Among these, the company plans to tap surface water from rivers and other bodies of water, and it aims to establish a desalination plant by the first quarter of 2026 to convert seawater into potable water.

Additionally, MPIW is accelerating its pipe-laying projects, which were delayed due to the pandemic and government permit approvals, to enhance its water distribution network.

These projects are part of a broader infrastructure push that includes building new reservoirs to stabilize supply during peak periods and maintenance work.

MPIW also emphasized its operational improvements, such as preventive maintenance to avoid service disruptions and initiatives to reduce non-revenue water losses due to leaks and theft.

The company said these efforts would ensure compliance with regulatory standards and improve overall service reliability.

Earlier, Iloilo City Councilor Romel Duron remains concerned about the potential recurrence of water shortages.

Duron, who chairs the City Council’s committee on energy and public utilities, warned that without additional water sources, the city could face similar disruptions in the future.

“What happened last week will likely happen again because the preventative maintenance is done yearly,” Duron said in an interview.

“We do not have an assurance that it will not happen again.”

Duron urged MPIW to explore other options, such as utilizing flood control projects in partnership with government agencies like the National Irrigation Administration. He also called for MPIW to speed up its delayed pipe-laying projects to reach underserved areas.

MPIW’s recent mobilization of water tankers to 150 injection points across the city, in response to last week’s water shortage, received criticism from Duron.

He described the measure as “improper” for a highly urbanized city, particularly when heavy rains had increased water availability.

The recent shortage occurred after MPIW’s bulk water supplier, Flo Water Resources, underwent its annual preventive maintenance, reducing MPIW’s supply and affecting the city’s far-end areas.

While MPIW has committed to providing a reliable 24/7 water supply by the end of 2025, Duron expressed skepticism about the company’s ability to meet this goal.

“They’ve been here for over 4 to 5 years already. Their promise is that by the end of 2025 everything will already be fully operational, and 24/7 we will have an adequate supply of water,” he said, adding that pipe-laying delays remain a significant obstacle.

The City Council plans to hold a committee hearing on October 29, with MPIW and the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD), to assess the progress of ongoing projects.

The hearing will also explore whether further intervention from the Office of the President or the Local Water Utilities Administration is necessary to address the city’s water supply issues.