EDITORIAL

The Need To Conserve Water

by ERNESTO T. SOLIDUM

Water is source of life. Yet this precious mineral resource is getting scarcer and expensive. Kapehan forum on January 29, 2011 at Smokehauz Resto & Bar where Atty. Edmund Peralta, Chairman BOD and Engr. Renato Albar, Gen. Manager of Metro Kalibo Water District (MKWD) discussed the topic, "MKWD" Waterage Structure and Performance."

Atty. Ronquillo C. Tolentino said that prior to issuance of PD 118 by Pres. Marcos on Sept. 28, 1979, local waterwork was managed by municipal government of Kalibo. It constructed several pumping stations and a tall tower near the Kalibo Pilot Elem. School. Failure in its operation was traced to poor water quality since it was salty.

The consideration to determine water rates must be striking a balance between revenue formation, the operational expenses, and capital investment on one hand and the cost of the product must be affordable to a large majority of the consumers on the other.

According to Atty. Peralta, the MKWD is classified as Government Owned and Controlled Corporation (GOCC) and therefore covered by Civil Service Rules, COA, DBM and all others. Its management and super-vision are governed by policies of the Local Utilities and Waterworks Administration (LUWA). Its plan to raise water rates from P1.70 – P2.05 per cubic meter was postponed by six months as a result of public clamor for more socialized pricing. (after six months will there be no negative public clamor?)

In its approved Board Resolution No. 081 (08) starting January 2011, their minimum charge for residential/government offices with 1" pipe is P656.00 while commercial/industrial with same size is P1,312.00. Wholesale/bulk concessionaires pay triple that of residential rate.

The above stated rate increases should have been implemented in 2007 to realize expansion goals and satisfy amortization payment of P18 million per month to LUWA said Atty. Edmund Peralta, former Mayor of New Washington. "We are trying our level best that our clienteles that grow by 1,200 per year be provided with improved facilities by 2020", he added.

"Their rate increase is based on three con-siderations namely: quality, affordability and reliability. Quality water must be odorless, colorless and free of harmful pathogens. Our chlorine is auto-matically injected into the system, distribution outlets monitored/checked by technicians and samples regularly sent to Iloilo City for laboratory analysis", Renato Albar, general manager stressed.

"The best gauge that our pricing policy reflects affordability is that con-sumer payment compliance is excellent. Moreover, service water delivery remains unhampered even during power outages. Virtually it has weathered natural calamities as typhoon and flood" (except Typhoon Frank ’08), Albar added.

Presently 20,000 consumers are serviced by MKWD in towns of Kalibo, New Washington and Banga. Numancia has pending application to join MKWD. The net revenue generated in 2008 was P9 million and P11 million in 2009. This is a remarkable MKWD performance for an outfit that hardly gets P1.5 million in its fledgling year.

Stupendous Salaries And Benefits

Based on COA report the Board of Directors members of GOCCs’ are notorious in allocating for themselves stupendous salaries and fringe benefits. MKWD is no exception. They receive P33,300 per month or P8,305 per week as they attend meetings. Christmas bonus is P25,000 where the country’s’ minimum wage is P10,000 per month.

Even if the above compensation is approved by Civil Service Commission, MKWD officials must have the moral compunction to limit their excesses. There are good reasons to believe that majority of impending P.35 rate increase per cubic meter is meant only for rapacious officials of BOD. (It is P70 minimum increase for one half (1/2) inch pipe for commercial establishments.)

Manager Albar conceded that sediments of sand and minerals come out of the faucet at certain times because of periodic flushing. He said this is expected because the sediment holding tank is not yet constructed. How soon?

Well, water quality of MKWD falls from its standard. By its own admission, there is no consistency. Sprouting of water processing plants in coverage areas of the utility firm only confirms that consumers are wary of foreign particles in their drinking water.

One interesting aspect in price increases is also the drive to conserve water. As water becomes expensive due to climate change, pollution and population, people could be responsive to attitudinal changes in water consumption.

Access to quality water and efficient service delivery come with a price. By the end of this decade, the source of ground water and or surface water definitely will come from a distant place like Libacao. Confronted by this prospect, individual consumers must decide between judicious water consumption or profligate one. Undoubtedly conservation of water is a necessity now and always. /MP