LUCENA CITY – The water agency here servicing the 2 cities of Lucena and Tayabas along with Pagbilao town has assured its 49,600 concessionaires that they are addressing the problem of water supply as they have already reduced their non-revenue water from 68 percent to 43 percent.
Jeffrey Gunay, branch manager of Prime Water Quezon Metro (PWQM), said they are working on replacing substandard and deteriorated water pipelines from all their service areas which have been around since over 3 decades ago when the water agency was still under NAWASA, then LUPATA Water District and later on Quezon Metropolitan Water District (QMWD) before it became a public-private partnership between QMWD and Prime Water Infrastructure Corp. (PWIC) when they signed a Joint Venture Agreement in August 2018.
In an interview with OpinYon Quezonin and several local mediamen on Thursday, Gunay said that “our reduced 43% water leakage from 68% in 2018 is already good by industry standard.” Even with the pandemic health, they have their hands full on preventive maintenance and replacement of leaking old water pipes, along with development of other water sources.
Gunay said that PWQM is working on their target goals of fulfilling their commitment of sufficient water supply delivery within 5 years after they have forged a pact with QMWD in 2018.
“We are working phase by phase, doing preventive maintenance and pipeline rehabilitation works underground, putting fire hydrants, buying 8 then 10 generating sets for our 21 pumping stations so that during brownouts we are not dependent on Meralco for our continuing rehabilitation works, while also continuing our resource development programs, all to enable us to meet our commitment target in five years,” Gunay said.
Gunay mentioned about their proposed 40% tariff increase but he added that it is still a long drawn out process as it would need the approval of the QMWD board of directors, then submitted to National Water Resources Bureau and water concessionaires would still be consulted on any matter of rate increase.
Since the signing of JVA between PWQM and QMWD in 2018 water consumers pay P146 minimum rate for 0-10 cubic meters of water used. On average about 23 cubic meters of water is consumed for every household in one month.
Gunay said their P146 minimum rate is still the lowest rate compared to San Pablo City and Batangas which is P200 to P220 per cubic meter.
Rodel Jayme, head of the Customer Care Dept. of PWQM, told Opinyon Quezonin that at present they have over 32,000 concessionaires in Lucena, over 9,000 in Tayabas and 7,200 in Pagbilao.
It was learned that the water agency has expanded their service area when it added another 3,196 water consumers from the adjacent town of Mauban.
Jayme said they have constructed 2 deep wells in the North Employee subdivision in Bgy. Gulang-Gulang and in Citta Grande subdivision in Bgy. Iyam which can augment water supply for their concessionaires up to the city proper.
Carina De Asis, the new QMWD general manager who succeeded Engr. Enrico Pasumbal in February last year, said the QMWD now is tasked in monitoring the performance of PWQM which is doing its best to work on deficiencies in several areas and exerting efforts to make water supply available from 8 hours to 12 hours.
Among the areas with 24 hrs. water supply are mostly in Bgy. Gulang-Gulang here such as in the residential subdivisions of De Mesa, Reymar, Purok Sariling Atin, Andaman, Ridgewood park; while those with 12 hours water supply are in Purok Rosas and Inigos Gym.
In Bgy. 11, water is available for 14 hours in Carmelite, Pol Ocampo, Sitio Ravanzo left and right side; 12 hours in Gomez St. and Santolan in Bgy. 4; 12 hours in M.L. Tagarao, Gomez St. and M.H. Del Pilar in Bgy. 3; and 15 hrs. in Abellanosa, Profugo and Sisa St. Upper in Bgy. 5, among other improvements in water supply.
There are around 110 employees of the PWQM who were absorbed from the QMWD in 2018 while almost the same number of employees opted for an attractive retirement plan offered by the PWIC.
As the PWQM took charge of the daily operation of the water agency, the QMWD, with 14 employees, has become a regulatory body mandated to monitor the performance of PWQM, according to De Asis.#