Water district to impose charges on ‘Yolanda’ resettlement dwellers

TACLOBAN CITY, March 1 (PNA) – The Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD) will charge Yolanda resettlement site dwellers in this city for potable water use starting March 15.

LMWD information officer Ma. Teresa Pascua said this is a strategy to regulate the consumption of drinking water in relocation sites meant for super typhoon Yolanda survivors. 

In fact, the local water service provider extended the delivery of free water to a month later, heeding pleas of relocation sites dwellers.

Under the original plan, consumers are supposed to pay for potable water use starting Feb. 15.

The water district noted that some housing beneficiaries have been taking advantage of the free water stored in tanks, by using the supply only meant for drinking and cooking for laundry and washing clothes.

“There are limitations, but some dwellers don’t follow the rules as they get more than the allowed 100 liters allocation per household per day,” Pascua said. 

Last year, the government also set up water pumps for laundry and washing, but some residents opted to use drinking water instead.

The LMWD and the DPWH) trucks have been delivering 50,000 liters of water daily to National Housing Authority (NHA) housing projects. 

Meanwhile, some dwellers appealed to authorities not to charge them for potable water consumption.

Alfredo Siose, 68, who queued Tuesday afternoon to get water from DPWH water tanks, asked the government to continue the provision of free water near their doorsteps. 

“I’m an old man earning a little from driving motorcycle. We cannot do anything if they will require us to pay for the water. I will have to earn more for the additional expense,” Siose said. 

His neighbor Lelsa Donsal, a small store owner said the availability of water in their community is such a big help. 

“It’s already five hours, but my income is only PHP20. If they will charge us for water supply, I don’t have money to pay,” Donsal said on Tuesday noon. 

The LMWD, DPWH and NHA will have yet to agree on the pricing of water services. 

The delivery of water to relocation sites is a temporary solution to water needs until the completion of the long-term water project in the northern part of the city, some 15 kilometers away from the city’s commercial district. 

At least 6,089 houses have been occupied by recipients as of Feb. 13, 2017 out of the 8,422 completed units in 19 sites. Some 2,829 houses are now ongoing, according to NHA.

The central government aims to build 14,433 units for Yolanda survivors in this city alone. (PNA) FPV/SQM/Felgin C. Silagan (OJT)