Campo Uno, the city’s main water source in Barangay Irawan, is expected to recover its surface flow in August following the onset of the rainy season.
Puerto Princesa City Water District (PPCWD) information officer Jenn Rausa said Thursday that based on past trends of its surface flow, Campo Uno always recovers around that time.
“Noong June 12, nag-announce na ng rainy season ang PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration), pero kapag ganito kasing panahon, hindi agad mabilis ang pag-replenish ng Campo Uno, buwan ‘yan. Bale based sa last year at mga nakaraang taon, August talaga nagkakaroon ng surface flow sa Campo Uno,” she said.
Rausa said consumers in the city remain to have access to the water supply because they were able to tap from Montible and Lapu-Lapu rivers.
Despite this, however, she said they remain to have issues with water supply because not all their pumping stations have recovered.
“Kasi meron tayong na-tap na temporary source, pero last year kasi wala tayong temporary source. Ang meron tayo cloud seeding. Since ngayon ay meron tayong temporary source at ang cloud seeding ay tapos na, may tuloy-tuloy tayo na nagagamit na water supply, pero hinihintay lang din talaga natin. Nahihirapan kami ngayon kasi until now ay may pumping stations tayo na hindi pa nakaka-recover,” she said.
Rausa said that when Alert Level 3 was raised on March 3, the water supply in the city was at 31, 393.85 cubic meters per day, while the average supply was at 42,000 cubic meters per day.
Based on the latest source monitoring report of the PPCWD, from June 6 to 12, the supply reached up to 40, 954 cubic meters per day.
The intervention of the city water district to augment through the temporary source from Montible and Lapu-Lapu rivers helped to support the demand, she said.
“Meron tayong problema sa ilang areas na naka-depende sa pumping station — katulad sa Sandiwa, hirap ang tubig dyan dahil yong pump ay drain suction, walang nahihigop na tubig. Ang nangyayari ay puro tayo inject, I think ay nag-rehabilitate ng pump para mas tumaas o makahanap pa ng puwede o madagdagan pa yong production ng pump,” Rausa said.
However, even the water supply that was managed to support the demand of city consumers cannot be covered because Campo Uno only produced 5,250 cubic meters per day. This was far from its average daily supply of 18,000 cubic meters.
Montible and Lapu-Lapu rivers, she said, contributed a daily production of 18,000 cubic meters.
Rausa said that when the Campo Uno recovers, the PPCWD will stop sourcing out from the two rivers because it is still being completed.
She said they would regulate the pressure before detaching the supply from these temporary sources.
“Siguro ihihinto siya kasi may mga construction pa na ginagawa so mahirap kasi na magtutuloy ang gamit niyan tapos may construction,” she said.
