ALONG with the growth of Davao City is its population. From 2010 to 2015, the population of the city grew to 1,632,991 in 2015 from 1,449,296 in 2010, with an annual growth rate of 2.3 percent.
As more people come to live in Davao City, the demand for electricity and water is also going up. At present, the Davao City Water District (DCWD) is currently supplying 300 million liters of water to Dabawenyos every day. This may still go up in the coming years.
While the power supply issue has been addressed around four years ago, Dabawenyos are beginning to worry that there may not be enough water to meet their demands in the coming years.
At present, the nearly 60 production wells of DCWD are still able to meet the demands of the Dabawenyos. However, groundwater is not infinite. It will not be a surprise if DCWD will announce that some of the production wells are reaching its limit.
Should we worry about Davao City’s water supply? Not really. DCWD had assured us that we should not be worried.
The water utility said it has five- to 10-year projections on the water demand of the city. This will allow it to properly plan the needed infrastructures or measures to put in place should there be an issue with the city’s water supply.
The P12-billion Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project in Tamugan will also alleviate the water situation in the city once it is completed by 2021. The project will supply 300 million liters per day (mld) of treated bulk water. The project is a joint venture between DCWD and Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc. tapping Tamugan River.
We should be worried if these projects are not in place or if there were no plans made ahead. We should be worried if the city only relied on groundwater for its water needs.
However, DCWD should not stop there. It must also continue to research means to ensure the water security in Davao City.
Dabawenyos can also ensure the water security of Davao City with proper water use. This can be done by avoiding the wasteful use of water, fixing leakages, and only using what you need, among other initiatives.
