City calls attention to local code on water applications

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – Can the city impose its own requirements on water permit applications vis-à-vis those of the National Water Resources Board (NWRB)?

The city council will thresh this out to firm up future actions on NWRB requests of posting of water permit applications being directed to the body.

Councilor Peter Fianza said the body need not tackle such requests as “posting of water permit applications should be ministerial” based on NWRB procedures.

But Councilor Perlita Rondez expressed apprehension that the body’s lack of action over the requests might be regarded as disinterest to matters affecting the state of the city’s surface or ground water.

“I’d like to know whether not approving the application is equivalent to the city’s giving up its right to say something about how the city council cares for the city’s surface or ground water,” Rondez said.

Councilor Erdolfo Balajadia said the city may be able to impose its own rules in accordance with Ordinance No. 13 series of 2007 or the Water Code of Baguio City which he said requires water permit applicants to secure clearances and requirements with the city before they can conduct ground drilling activities.

“Our water code states that although the national office can issue permits and can post (applications) even if the matter does not pass through the city council, the applicants have to first get permit from the city before they can break the ground (for their water projects),” Balajadia noted.

The water code provisions require water applicants to secure permits and clearances from the City Water Resources Board and from the Baguio Water District.

It also imposes requirements for accreditation of water well drillers, annual verification of water sources and extractors and water distributors. 

The code was passed to address the lack of control over water extraction and other threats to the availability of water resources within the city.

Vice Mayor Daniel Farinas agreed that the body should study the procedure that it will adopt in acting on requests for posting of such applications and called for a review of matters brought up before the council related to said concern.

The body for the meantime decided to call NWRB’s attention to the city’s water code by furnishing it a copy of the city’s ordinance.