MindanaoToday.com | CdeO rations water as COBI relocates valves
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – About a hundred thousand households, composed by over 480,000 residents spread across 14 semi-urban villages of Cagayan de Oro had to queue for water supply from tanker trucks starting Sunday afternoon, March 3, after their faucets became useless for more than 24 hours.
Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy saved the day for the thousands who waited for two days to take a batch and clean unwashed plates and cooking utensils, with two of his personal tanker trucks distributing water. A firetruck of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of the city government was also utilized for water rationing.
Three other water tankers of the Cagayan de Oro Water Districts (COWD) also joined the water rationing by households. Among those COWD tanker trucks served was the Justiniano R. Borja General Hospital at Barangay Carmen.
Uy has also requested the Bureau of Fire Protection Cagayan de Oro Station to assist in water distribution, but has not responded to the request, so far.
On Friday, March 1, the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) issued two notices for water interruption, ranging from low pressure to no water, affecting 15 areas of its service area, including that of Opol town, Misamis Oriental starting at 9 a.m. of Saturday, March 2, until 1 a.m. of Sunday, March 3.
Engineer Antonio Young, general manager of COWD, said in the two notices that the water interruption is primarily due to the relocation of existing isolation valves of the Cagayan de Oro Bulkwater Inc. (COBI) that have been affected by the Department of Public Works and Highways ongoing flood control project along the Cagayan de Oro River.
COBI is COWD’s bulkwater supplier for its service areas on the western side—where 10 of the affected areas are situated–of the city and portions of Opol town, Misamis Oriental.
Water supply, however, was not restored at 1 a.m. of Sunday, hence the COWD issued and advisory and posted online that the transfer of isolation values was still ongoing. It assured its Facebook followers that water supply would resume by 12 noon of Sunday.
Again, the COWD issued another advisory that COBI was not done yet relocating the isolation valves, but they were assured the work will be completed by 3 pm and for customers to wait for supply until the desired water pressure builds up.
Yet again, another notice was posted online, saying pipe joints gave way due to high water pressure and these, again, need repair work, thus completion and water supply will be restored by 10 p.m. And yet, again, water supply has not been restored, as of this writing.
Areas affected by the water supply interruption since Saturday, March 2, were Bayabas, Bonbon, Bulua, Canitoan, Carmen (Upper), Iponan, Kauswagan, Lumbia, Pagatpat, and Patag in the western side of the city. Also experiencing low pressure or no water were Camaman-an, Gusa, Lapasan, and Macasandig (Upper). (MT)
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