Amid water shortages experienced in different parts of the city, the Baguio Water District (BWD) has recommended to the city officials the collection of additional environmental fees from tourists in order to fund the construction of additional rainwater harvesting facilities.
During the Baguio City Council’s regular session last June 26, Engr. Salvador Royeca, BWD general manager, said the demand for water in the city increases more than 20% during the peak season where there is an influx of tourists. This period also turns out to be the driest period in the country when the supply of water is low.
According to Royeca, 20% of the tourists stay in commercial establishments like hotels and inns while the 80% stay in residential areas.
During the peak season and long holidays, the wells are over-pumped due to the sudden increase of demand for water as a result of the arrival of many tourists into the city, Royeca stated.
To close the gap between the demand and supply, Royeca said one of the solutions is the construction of an additional rain water harvesting facility which can be funded through the collection of environmental fees from tourists.
It can be remembered that, in 2020, an ordinance seeking to mandate the collection of environmental fees from tourists was proposed. Under the ordinance, an environmental user’s fee system will be established to counter the risks of environmental degradation, destruction of the ecosystem, and the increase of pollution in the city due to the rapid growth of tourism.
Royeca further recommended that the carrying capacity of the city be considered in the future programs and projects of the city government. This recommendation concurs with the study conducted by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) which showed that the city’s environmental carrying capacity has long been breached due to the unabated increase of population through the decades.
He also called for the protection of the remaining forest covers in the city.
To address the persistent water shortages experienced in many parts of the city in the past months due to the scarcity of water sources during the dry season, the BWD has implemented a contingency plan.
Royeca said the problematic areas in the city are Pinsao Proper, part of Fairview, part of Campo Filipino, Pinget, West Quirino Hill, part of Middle Quirino Hill, part of East Quirino Hill, part of San Luis Village, Upper Quezon Hill.
These areas had experienced water shortages as a result of the decline in water sources primarily due to the absence of sufficient rain to recharge the aquifers.
To improve the water supply in these problematic areas, an augmentation project was implemented which included the activation of a transmission line from old Lucban to Pinsao Area and the newly-commissioned Malvar 2 Deepwell along Malvar St.
As an effect of the El Nino phenomenon, the reservoir along Km 8 has dried up, affecting the water supply in Apugan, Adiwang, Dontogan, PNB Ville, Poblacion (Tuba), Suello Village, Crystal Cave, Teachers Village (ATAB), Marcos Highway, Chapiz, Upper Rock Quarry, Sto. Rosario, Imelda Barangay, San Vicente, Dr. Carino, Montinal, General Lim, QM, and Bengao (Bakakeng Central), among others.
To remedy this, repiping, bypassing and rehabilitation projects were likewise undertaken to boost water supply in areas near Baguio General Hospital.
Problems and challenges have also emerged, affecting normal water distribution activities such as broken pipes, turbidity of water sources, power outage, decline of water sources during the dry season, destruction of facilities due to “Kaingin”, presence of illegal connections, and delays in the implementation of various projects due to the opposition of residents and barangay officials.
The installation of two pipelines is already in the works. The project costs are P35 million and P40 million acquired as a loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines.
Aside from these augmentation projects, Royeca also presented to the city council some accomplished and future medium-term water supply projects, long term projects, and exploration and drilling programs to improve the water distribution systems of the BWD.
Meanwhile, the city council urged the BWD to prioritize establishing water service connections to those who are still deprived of water services and. The city council also tasked the BWD to study the possibility of establishing a rainwater harvesting system to provide an alternative source of water in the city and to conduct a feasibility study on tapping the water reservoir located at Purok 27, Irisan Barangay. **Jordan G. Habbiling
