'[R]esidents of some barangays in the capital town of Laguna have complained of the poor quality of water coming from their faucets ... they have encountered a 'jelly-like' substance called 'kulamod' by the locals at their water pumping station in Barangay Santo Angel Norte since last July.'
Residents of Santa Cruz, Laguna, who are currently serviced by PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp., would probably sympathize with the complaints of their counterparts in San Pedro City.
For some weeks now, residents of some barangays in the capital town of Laguna have complained of the poor quality of water coming from their faucets.
Messages sent to OpinYon Laguna by concerned citizens brought complaints of water that is “sandy” and rusty, with one resident complaining that she cannot bathe with this water as it causes irritation in her sensitive parts.
Residents of Santa Cruz, to recall, had fought against the 25-year joint venture agreement entered into by the Santa Cruz Water District in 2019 that had enabled PrimeWater to take over handling the town’s water distribution system.
Four years later, it appears that opposing residents have found themselves vindicated due to the complaints.
Laguna de Bay to blame?
When asked by OpinYon Laguna about these complaints, PrimeWater-Santa Cruz, on the other hand, pointed the blame at the deteriorating quality of water in the nearby Laguna de Bay, which they claim had affected their source of water.
In an interview, PrimeWater Santa Cruz Branch Manager Lawrence Chua said that they have encountered a “jelly-like” substance called “kulamod” by the locals at their water pumping station in Barangay Santo Angel Norte since last July.
“Unlike po kasi sa San Pedro, panget na po talaga ang quality ng water sources dito sa Santa Cruz noon pa, gawa na rin po kasi sa worsening status ng Laguna de Bay. Kasi doon po yung nearest body of water na nanggagaling yung tubig sa aquifer, kaya iyon din po yung cause kung bakit pumapangit yung tubig na nakukuha natin from our deep wells,” Chua claimed.
Delayed Projects
PrimeWater Santa Cruz had also been planning on an extensive project to rehabilitate its water sources and distribution lines in 2020, but the project had been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he added.
“Ngayon pa lang po talaga nagsisigalawan ulit yung ibang projects na ibinigay natin noon. We actually provided multiple projects na rin para maresolve yung ibang problem kasi before I came here what we encounter was parang there are areas na mahina ang tubig may low pressure may other than dun sa dirty water,” Chua said.
Aside from upgrading their pumping stations, he said PrimeWater is now rehabilitating old water pipes to eliminate issues such as leaky pipes and illegal connections.
“Continuous pa rin naman po yung ginagawa naming rehab at cleaning nung deep wells at elevated water tank, saka yung flushing para ma-eliminate rin po natin yung substance na na-encounter natin sa tubig,” he said.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Staff of PrimeWater Santa Cruz at work on repairing leaks on their line at Barangay Bubukal, Santa Cruz, Laguna in this photo shared last June 30. PrimeWater Santa Cruz told OpinYon Laguna that it is now rehabilitating its facilities to eliminate issues such as leaky pipes, illegal connections, and poor water quality. (Photo courtesy of PrimeWater Santa Cruz)
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