The Puerto Princesa City Water District (PPCWD) said a scheduled replacement of aging valves along its main transmission line caused the temporary water service interruption that affected parts of the city from Wednesday evening to Thursday morning.
The maintenance activity, conducted from 7 p.m. on July 1 until 5 a.m. on July 2, involved replacing the main transmission valve and the main valves connected to the 3,000-cubic meter and 650-cubic meter reservoirs in Barangay Sta. Monica.
According to PPCWD Spokesperson John Bernard Juanich, the valves are essential components that regulate water flow throughout the distribution system.
“Ang valve ay isang mekanismo na nagreregulate at ginagamit upang magsara, at mag-divert ng tubig papunta sa mga linya. Dahil sa luma at deffective na ang ilan sa mga valve ng PPCWD ay kinakailangan na itong palitan para sa mas maayos na operasyon ng tubig sa lungsod,” he said.
Although water service is expected to return sooner in low-lying areas after the maintenance, PPCWD warned that customers in Junction 2, Wescom Road, Malvar Street, Rizal Avenue, Manalo Street, Bancao-Bancao and the city’s coastal barangays may experience longer delays.
The utility said the restoration process takes time because the main transmission lines have to be refilled before adequate pressure can be restored across the network.
“Kahit tapos na ang maintenance activity ay makakaranas pa rin ng delay sa suplay ng tubig ang ilang lugar sa kabayanan dulot ng pagkabasyo sa mainline… kinakailangan ng sapat na oras upang makabuo ng tamang pressure para magtuloy-tuloy ang daloy ng tubig,” Juanich stressed.
Residents were advised to store water ahead of scheduled maintenance activities and to contact the PPCWD hotline if service has not resumed beyond the announced restoration time to check whether a water injection schedule has been arranged for their area.
Despite the temporary interruption, PPCWD assured consumers that Puerto Princesa’s overall water supply remains sufficient following recent rains.
“Dahil sa pag-ulan ay muling nalagyan ng tubig ang mga gravity sources natin na Campo Uno sa Irawan at Lapu-lapu source… sapat ang tubig ng Puerto Princesa,” he added.
However, PPCWD urged the public to continue conserving water and maintain emergency water storage as the threat of El Niño persists.
