By Luel Galarpe/PNA
CEBU CITY — The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) has advised its customers to store water for 24-hour use ahead of the extreme weather disturbance that is expected to hit Cebu province on Wednesday morning.
The MCWD management issued the advisory on Tuesday as Tropical Depression Samuel is forecast to bring in heavy rains and may cause water supply interruptions when power outages or flooding occur in Metro Cebu.
Charmaine Rodriguez-Kara, MCWD spokesperson, said 70 percent of their daily supply comes from groundwater wells, which rely on electricity to pump water out for distribution.
The MCWD has stand-by generators in its major wells and several portable generator sets, but it would only be able to supply 50 percent of its capacity in case of power outages.
Moreover, if a heavy downpour causes flooding in sources of fresh water, muddy water is produced. The MCWD needs to comply with the standards set by the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water.
Meanwhile, the Visayan Electric Company (VECO) has deployed feeder patrollers to check on possible hazards to its lines, such as trees that need trimming and billboards.
Quennie Bronce, VECO spokesperson, said they will also implement 12-hour shifts for their emergency crews and responders starting 6 p.m. Tuesday as part of their typhoon contingency.
The electric utility firm also advised the public to immediately report fallen poles, broken wires, and other electrical emergencies to VECO’s Customer Hotline 230-8326, which is open 24/7.
