Water firm upgrades facilities after P5-M 'Ompong' damage

BAGUIO CITY -- About 9,500 households and establishments connected to the Baguio Water District (BWD) had to bear intermittent supply interruptions recently, as repairs and upgrades in the facilities are being done after the damages left by Typhoon Ompong. 

“We are strengthening the capability of the structures, to make them sturdy because as observed, those on mountain slopes are usually affected (by typhoons),” BWD General Manager Salvador Royeca told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Thursday.

Royeca said the repairs are not just short-term fixes but are part of the utility firm's thrust to upgrade its facilities to global standards and mitigate the effects of climate change.

He said the upgrades, which are ongoing, are for building the utility firm's resiliency to calamities.

The BWD has estimated the damages caused by "Ompong" on its facilities and services at about P5 million, said BWD information officer Mark Pasagoy. 

“The cost of damage only includes an assessment of materials and equipment needed (for repair) without any assessment on labor costs,” Pasagoy said.

He said the facility that sustained the most damage was the Pinesville deep well, amounting to P1.2 million.

The damage was due to the collapsed electric post and damaged transformers and accessories.

Also damaged were the Camp 7-1 deep well, Sto. Tomas transmission line, Ambiong to Pacdal transmission line, Stage 1 sources, Amliang sources, Amliang transmission line along Digdigwayan and TipTop, Camp 8 deep well, Amparo pumping station, and the BGH distribution line.

The temporary water supply problem affected mostly the southern part of Baguio, but was partially managed as early as Sept. 18, Pasagoy said.

He said water supply was almost fully restored last September 21.

“Repairs on the damages were completed six days after the onslaught of the typhoon, leading to normalization of about 90 percent of the water supply,” he said.

Pasagoy said the cost of the repairs will be shouldered by the BWD and will not be passed on to consumers. -- PNA