Baguio to oppose John Hay water rights in barangays

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY – The city government will be filing a motion for reconsideration before the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) for the regulating agency to reverse its earlier decision to approve the water rights application to operate and maintain a waterworks system within Camp John Hay, particularly barangays Scout Barrio, Country Club Village, Happy Hallow and Kadaclan Village.

The council argued the NWRB erred in granting the said application of John Hay Water System, Inc. for the renewal of its water rights application to maintain and operate a waterworks system inside the former American base because it failed to include in its deliberations the position of the local government to be an automatic intervener in water rights applications being filed by different companies wanting to operate in the different parts of the city.

Earlier, Dr. Sevillo David, Jr., NWRB executive director, transmitted to the city NWRB Resolution No. 18-0116 approving the application of JHWSI for renewal of certificate of public convenience (CPC) for information and guidance.

The NWRB is a government institution created and existing under Presidential Decree (PD) No. 424 and PD No. 1067 tasked to oversee the applications for water rights in the country.

 JHWSI filed its application for renewal of CPC on May 12, 2015, and its initial hearing was conducted on July 13, 2015, during which the applicant submitted compliance with the jurisdictional requirements of the notice and publication.

The NWRRB resolution stated the Secretariat has evaluated the JHSWI application with due diligence and determined that it complied with existing laws, guidelines, and procedures

The NWWRB resolution noted that there was no opposition filed in the said case during its initial hearing on July 13, 2015, although the city submitted a resolution stating, among others, that it will become an automatic intervener in cases where there will be applications for water rights in the different parts of the city.

On Dec. 3, 2015, the NWRB staff conducted an ocular inspection of the applicant’s waterworks system to determine the adequacy of water supply and reviewed their operational performance and based on the report, JHSWI maintains one deep well source and three spring sources.

JHWSI’s waterworks system is reportedly equipped with one cistern tank and two units ground level water tanks.

The NWRB claimed the average production per day was computed at 1,428.41 cubic meters while the authorized volume per day was computed at 1,612.22 cubic meters per day and that the applicant provides water to its 218 residential connections and 55 commercial connections on a 24-hour water supply service.