By Teofilo Garcia, Jr/PNA
ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD) said that they may further shorten rationing hours as the water supply continues to deplete.
Engr. Teotimo Reyes Jr., ZCWD Department Manager for water production, on Monday said the move was in response to the absence of rainfall in the past days and the onset of summer.
These factors, Reyes said, has caused the water level at the Diversion weir in Barangay Pasonanca to fall below 74.00 meters for the first time this year. He said the normal water level at the weir is at 74.20 meters, which allows the ZCWD’s filtration plants to operate at optimum levels.
Reyes said the breaching of the 74.00 meters barrier happened midnight of Saturday (February 9). He said the filtration plant production will consequently be reduced as raw water inflow slows down.
“There is a possibility that further reduction of water supply will result in longer hours without water for households in the city,” he said.
He said that latest figures also indicate production from bulk water supplier Prime Water in Barangay Pamucutan is down to 21 million liters per day (MLD) from its rated capacity of 50 MLD.
He said that the combined output at present is 90 to 95 MLD from a rated capacity of 153 MLD, which is down by about 40 percent of total capacity.
He said the production is dependent on raw water supply, and “if current trend continues, less water will be available to households until the rains came around by May or June.”
This city is under an “El Niño” watch since the latter part of 2018 although the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has not officially declared the onset of the weather phenomenon.
