Bulk Water Just In Time To Avert Cagayan de Oro Water Crisis

There’s another tempest in a teapot again brewing over the rising volume of “non-revenue water” incurred by the Cagayan de Oro City Water District.” Seems the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) had already recognized the problem when it instructed the COWD to organize a specific program to reduce its NRW below the 40% “acceptable limit” specified in the SME manual of the Dept. of Budget and Management.

Last week, the city council pilloried COWD officials after finding out its NRW had risen to 46 percent from 43 percent in 2005. In comparison, the Manila Water Company, Inc., responsible for West Manila, succeeded in reducing NRW from 65% to 35% but Maynilad Water Services, Inc. which serves East Manila, still had a high 70% incidence of NRW.

However, COWD officials denied it was passing on its NRW losses to its concessionaires through a series of rate hikes. The COWD has been implementing a five step annual increase in water rates to allow it to maintain its financial viability after it availed of a P520-million loan from the LWUA in 2001 to finance its Phase III improvement program.

COWD Assistant Manager for Operations Jong Batar said the hike in water rates was meant to pay back LWUA for its loan and was not meant to cover its NRW losses.

Mr. Batar said it is usual for NRW to rise following an expansion of the water system since the higher water pressure meant a higher incidence of leaks through old and defective pipes and mains. Past NRW figures show NRW increasing to 57.44% in 1977-78 following the COWD’s Phase 1 expansion program; to 30.74% in 1992-93 following the Phase 2 expansion and again from 28.93%% in 2001 to 46% in 2006 following the Phase III expansion project. It may rise further with the higher water pressure now being experienced in the west side by concessionaires due to the 40,000 cu.m. daily feed from the bulk water supplier Rio Verde Water Corporation, Inc.

Nevertheless, Mr. Batar says the COWD has already programmed the acquisition of seven units of electromagnetic flow meters to more accurately measure water flowing through the system. At present, he admits there may be an overestimation of production volume since its measurement is based merely on the capacity of its pumping stations and not measuring the actual volume of water throughput. Sa bisaya pa, tinamban lamang.

In addition, the COWD has also allocated P251,790 for additional water meter clustering to prevent tampering and theft of water meters. At the height of the series of water meter thefts last year, Mr. Batar said they were receiving reports of up to 10 cases daily but only managed to arrest and charge two offenders.

During last Monday’s hearing, COWD Board of Directors Member Soc Anthony del Rosario requested the city council to pass an ordinance providing for stiffer penalties against water meter thieves than what is now provided under the Water Crisis Act. Starting last month, the COWD is now offering a P3,000 bounty to informers for every case of illegal connections and tampering of water meters reported to their office.

Not the least, Mr. Batar said the COWD is now fielding its transmission distribution team on 24 hour basis to be able to immediately address reported leaks.

That’s all well and good, but the rising volume of NRW tells me that the COWD is going through what the defunct MMWS went through when most of its production volume was being waylaid by illegal connections. Even more than illegal tapping of electricity, the bulk of that 46 percent NRW is obviously due to illegal connections since it’s so much easier and safer to tap the water system than the electric wires. Perhaps we should also run electric wires in the water taps? Eh eh eh…

I strongly suggest the COWD board and top management take a trip to Iloilo City to see how the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) dealt with its NRW problem where illegal connections already outnumbered the legitimate ones. Like Elpie Paras did with Parasat when he used addressable decoders to prevent cable signal theft and illegal connections, the MIWD undertook a massive rehabilitation program and replaced its entire system of pipes and mains, rendering in one master stroke all illegal connections waterless!

Not that COWD can’t afford it or doesn’t need it. The Phase 1 of the COWD is pushing 30 years with Phase II and Phase III not far behind. On top of the rising pressure sure to be brought by the Rio Verde bulk water supply feed when it increases its daily supply to COWD from 40,000 to 100,000 and eventually 150,000 cu.m. daily, NRW would inevitably rise further considering the aged pipes and mains.

Furthermore, with Rio Verde capable of delivering up to 250,000 cu.m. of potable water a day, COWD would have the leverage to undertake the massive rehab of its water system with the savings in capital expenditures intended for expansion and development of additional water sources for the growing metropolis.

Even now, the Rio Verde management says it could already deliver water to Barangay Lumbia, and most importantly to Lumbia Airport, at an hour’s notice from COWD. The stink from our comfort rooms there sure could use a shot of fresh water to flush it out of his key gateway to our city.

How about it Board Chair Rey Java and GM Jun Gonzales? Kaya ba?