MIWD must deliver water through pipelines: Mabilog
The Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) is mandated to deliver water through the pipelines and not through big water tankers, said Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.
This was reiterated by the mayor following the MIWD request for exemption from the truck ban to allow its tankers to inject water in identified areas with low water pressure.
In his letter dated December 6 to MIWD general manager Le Jayme Jalbuena, Mabilog asked the MIWD to provide Iloilo City with sufficient potable water.
Mabilog said the MIWD has the obligation to supply water up to 100 percent of the city’s demand but it is unfortunate and disappointing that until this time, only 20 percent is being served by MIWD.
He said MIWD must comply with its mandate under its franchise to deliver adequate water supply to all its concessionaires through its pipelines as a permanent solution and not through water truck deliveries, which is inadequate and palliative and serves only the personal business interest of a few.
“As agreed, MIWD will have to conduct bidding for the delivery of guaranteed 30,000 cubic meters of water per day to the people of the city by June 2011. Failure to do so will compel the city government to file legal action against MIWD and the city will be forced to source out water from other water facility companies to permanently provide for the water needs of the people within our territorial jurisdiction,” Mabilog said.
Jalbuena, in a letter dated December 3 to Mabilog, said their water tankers were being barred from entering the major thoroughfares of the city because of an existing ordinance prohibiting trucks and other big transportation utilities from entering the city at day time to regulate the traffic flow.
Jalbuena said the water being delivered will be injected into the pipelines in order to spare the barangays from staying late at night to store water.
Jalbuena specified the deliveries for Monday, Wednesday and Friday at barangays de la Rama, Gen. Hughes and Loboc and on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at barangays Ma. Clara, Villa Carolina at Brgy. Yulo Drive and Juntado Subdivision at Brgy. Calumpang, Molo.
However, Mabilog said that he was informed the MIWD had never delivered water to these barangays.
Guidelines
The Transportation Management and Traffic Regulation Office (TMTRO) has issued guidelines and requirements for the issuance of special permits to owners of water tankers to be exempted from the Truck Ban Ordinance and be able to deliver water to various commercial and institutional establishments in the city.
TMTRO officer-in-charge Mitch Antiqueña Jr. said the requirements included an affidavit that the owner of water firm was not related by affinity or consanguinity up to the fourth degree to any member of the management or Board of Directors or employees of MIWD.
Mabilog admitted he is aware that some management officials of MIWD were into the business of commercial water supply delivery in direct conflict of their mandate to serve the water district and their concessionaires.*PNA
