The provincial government is keen on addressing problems in water distribution in the province following reports that the Cebu Manila Water Development Incorporated is losing about 2 to 3 million liters per day due to pipe leakages.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia stressed to CMWDI general manager Christian Batallones that water interruptions due to pipe leakages should not be addressed with band-aid solution.

She also objected to the water service interruption, especially now that more tourists are coming over at this time for the Sinulog festivities, adding that a 12-hour water service interruption would be too much of a burden for consumers and business establishments in Cebu.

The water CMWDI provides are being sold to the towns of Compostela, Liloan and Consolacion; as well as the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Cebu City with the length of its 34.8 km pipeline.

“It’s rather unfair because this is your fault,” Garcia told Batallones as she suspected that the leakage may have been caused by too much pressure on the pipes designed to deliver only 35MLD but have been made to accommodate the increased volume of 38MLD.

The governor found out that CMWDI has been over-delivering in its water commitment as instead of 35MLD as prescribed in the agreement in the joint venture, it now delivers 38MLD.

Garcia suggested replacing the entire pipe segment since the latter is considering expanding the water commitment of CMWDI from 35MLD to as much as 45MLD as water demand in Cebu is increasing, instead of repairing the leaks by welding.

“Let us not just build for today. Let us build for the future, for the Cebuanos 15 years from now,” Garcia said.

She added that CMWDI should conduct an inventory of its pipes and come up with a plan in order to make it withstand the additional pressure of increased water volume.

CMWDI was supposed to implement a 12-hour water service interruption to give way to the 700-millimeter pipe repair leakage in Danao City.