The Puerto Princesa City Water District said its recent cloud seeding operations had helped to improve the water supply coming from the Montible and Lapu-lapu rivers and alleviate the city’s water woes.
PPPCWD information officer Jenn Rausa said their cloud seeding operation from April 10 to May 12 established a continous water supply from the two rivers which they have been relying as a temporary water source.
“Hinihintay na lang natin na mabagsakan ulit ng ulan para magtuloy-tuloy na hanggang Campo Uno. May magandang effect naman ‘yong cloud seeding dito sa Irawan pero mas naging maganda yong effect nya sa Montible and Lapu-Lapu,” Rausa said.
Rausa said they regard the recent developments in water supply as indications of recovery.
“Since nandyan din ‘yong temporary source natin, mas naalalayan niya ‘yong temporary source na nilagay dyan sa Lapu-Lapu river. Malaking tulong din kahit papaano na nagagamit natin ‘yong source, ‘yong temporary source kahit na yong Campo Uno ay on the way pa lang sa recovery,” she said.
The PPCWD has decided not to extend its water rationing operations after it ended on May 12, assessing there was sufficient amount of rain that poured down the Montible and Lapu-Lapu rivers.
“Nagri-request ang Fliteline na sana mag-extend pa kasi ngayon daw may ay maganda ang ulap. Kaso hindi na rin kami nag-extend kasi tuloy-tuloy na rin ang supply at enough na yong pagpaulan namin sa Lapu-Lapu. Sa Irawan upstream kasi ang hirap talaga paulanan,” she said.
The Montible and Lapu-Lapu rivers are also the source for the ongoing construction of Water Supply Improvement Project (WSIP-II) that is eyed as the solution to the annual water shortage in the city.
The sorties, contracted out by PPCWD to Fliteline Airways Philippines, Inc., aimed to produce rains in two target areas, the Campo Uno in Irawan and in Montible and Lapu-Lapu rivers.
Rausa said around 400 sacks of salt were allotted for the 2020 cloud seeding operations and with P2-million budget.
Rausa said that city water district no longer implements the water rationing scheme but they are still waiting for the recovery of main water source. Most of the water supply supporting the demands of city consumers are now coming from the temporary source in Montible and Lapu-Lapu.
“Ngayon ay hindi pa naman totally recovered ang Campo Uno so siguro kapag okay na iyon saka tayo mag-officially announce ng downgrade ang water crisis alert level natin kasi temporary source lang naman yong nagagamit natin ngayon,” she said.
Rausa said that if the WSIP will be completed in 2020, they might not have another cloud seeding operations in 2021.
