People served by Zamboanga City Water District are advised to start storing water in their households as the local water utility firm prepares to impose the water rationing scheme anytime from January 29, 2019.
Task Force ‘El Nino’ head Eng’r Valerie Gutierrez disclosed engineers are currently throttling feeder valves to manage water flow to households as water levels have further dipped to 74.06 meters as of Monday afternoon, January 28 from its normal level of 74.20 at the diversion weir in Pasonanca.
Eng’r Gutierrez said households will likely start experiencing reduced water pressure with some areas not getting water at all as adjustments are made.
She added the district will implement the water rationing scheme if and when the situation gets any more critical as earlier announced.
The scheme will rotate water supply to key select areas with four hour intervals of no water each day.
Gutierrez disclosed the water rationing scheme, which was set to be implemented last Firday, January 25 was temporarily put on hold as rains helped improve water levels at the treatment plants.
The water rationing scheme was earlier published in the city’s two major local dailies namely Zamboanga Today and Daily Zamboanga Times January 22, 23 and 24, 2019.
It was likewise posted in the ZCWD website and its Facebook account while extensively announced in major broadcast media outlets.
In the event of the rationing scheme imposition, the district will augment water supply by water tanker delivery by its fleet.
The district will also operate its 21 production wells to improve water pressure in the system, Operations Assistant General Manager Alejo Rojas Jr. added.
An ‘El Nino’ weather phenomenon is expected to hit the city this first quarter of the year as forecasted by PAGASA.
Lack of rainfall this early has compounded the situation, depleting raw water inflow into the treatment plants.
Top water district officials called anew consumers to observe water conservation and use water judiciously. (Edgardo Lorenzo D. Baños – CREAS Chief-ZCWD)