Reforms ongoing at MIWD
Iloilo -- Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) Interim General Manager Edwin Reyes said he is instituting reforms at the water district in order to serve better its growing consumers in the city and at the same time address its backlog.
Reyes said they are contemplating to implement a new scheme on the connection process in order for the applicants to avail of affordable and clean potable water. He said they are also studying of lowering the rates of water connection fees to P2,000. The rest of the connection fees will also be made in staggered basis.
Reyes assumed as the MIWD's interim general manager October last year as per the approval of the Local Waterworks Utilities Administration (LWUA) which is headed by Ilonggo businessman Larry Jamora.
Lee Jayme Jalbuena still sits as the general manager.
Based on the available records at the MIWD, the local water district was only able to install 22,000 water connections to the 114,000 registered households in the city. The figure covers three years.
It is only 5.18 percent of the total households or there are only more or less 1,000 connections made every year to residents who want to avail of clean and potable water.
Reyes said he is eyeing to install 7,500 water connections every year to decrease the backlog. He said they wanted to cut short the connection process in three to four days period."Just give us ample time," Reyes said.
The water district lack materials to meet the needs in installing water connections. Reyes, however said they have new service contracts for new water works system. Last year, MIWD started its rehabilitation program after they availed of some P207 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The project covers the replacement of old water pipes to new ones from the different water sources. The old pipe lines were installed 50 years ago from the towns of Pavia, Sta. Barbara, Cabatuan and Maasin. They are also set to drill eight additional wells to improve the city's water supply.
Meanwhile, LWUA Administrator Jamora urged the people to report to his office the water district's personnel who are asking higher connection charge for easy and immediate installation of water connections in their homes.
He said corruption inside the water district should be eliminated as he stressed the importance of having a clean potable water in every household. He said the contamination level of water coming out from faucets is not critical.
Jamora explained that the water coming out from the water district is clean. It is much cleaner than those water coming out from refill stations. He said one would not know the sanitation practice in every water refill station.
He lamented that there are barangay officials from the different municipalities who dig holes from the water pipe lines to avail of free water. This allows some bacteria to gain entry in the different water pipe lines.
The LWUA administrator said they have already asked the assistance of the local government units to prevent illegal water connections in their respective area."What is P20 to P30 gain compared to the hazards and dangers it will bring to the children, we have our social responsibility," Jamora said.