For the first time in a long while, SCWD concessionaires have sufficient water flowing from their taps even at the height of a typhoon, including the infamous Super-typhoon “Rolly” which battered Sorsogon City non-stop from 3 AM to 9 AM of October 31, 2020. And even with the widespread blackout which lasted almost a week, most of 71,000 water users in the city’s 34 served barangays – from Basud in the West, to Abuyog in the East and Bogña in Bacon – report of experiencing normal water supply.

Facebook users were quick to point out that its ‘good thing that there is water supply’ despite the prevailing power outage. Another commented: ‘Thanks, may tubig kami maski wara kuryente”.

This came as no surprise as SCWD Interim General Manager Engr. Eduardo P. Tejada called upon SCWD’s private partners PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. and Abejo Waters Corp. to make sure that all households have water supply before, during and after the typhoon.

All pumping stations operated using back-up generator sets at an average of 17 hours per day from October 31, including the Abuyog Storage Tank and Booster Station with its 76-KVA back-up genset and Macabog Pumping Station running on its brand-new 150-KVA back-up generator set. Out west, the AWC surface water source and deepwell source at Brgy. Guinlajon were operated at an average of 20 hours per day using two 70-KVA back-up generator sets.

IGM Tejada, in a post-typhoon “Quinta” meeting on October 28 with PrimeWater engineers Jupel A. Operio (water resource) and Jerome J. Buen (maintenance), ordered specifically for the pre-positioning of: (1) diesel fuel and chlorine sufficient for a two-day operation of all pumping stations; and (2) two quick reaction teams specifically for Tinago, San Juan (East) and for the intake boxes and transmission lines at Sitio Bagong Sirang, Brgy. Macabog, two areas most susceptible to damages.

When the “Rolly” steered clear of Sorsogon City at around 10 AM of October 31, both QR teams were dispatched to Tinago and Bagong Sirang. By 2 PM of the same day, all broken lines have been repaired and normal water supply has been restored in almost 90% of the SCWD-served barangays. At the Bacon District, PrimeWater implemented a rotating water supply in five barangays to optimize the operation of its three deepwell sources still powered by back-up generator sets.

In his visit to Tinago on November 3, IGM Tejada proposed the engineering intervention to relocate the oft-damaged 6-in diameter Macabog Line – part of the original 1920s Sorsogon water system – to finally end the recurring problem during typhoons. This instruction was re-iterated during the post-typhoon “Rolly” meeting with PrimeWater’s branch manager Engr. Hendrickson E. Latonio, Engr. Operio, Engr. Buen and AWC’s plant in-charge Biff D. Bulanon on November 5.

Successive typhoons “Quinta” and “Rolly” brought to mind the sad experience of “Tisoy” which hit Sorsogon City in December 2019, during which concessionaires experienced insufficient water supply several days in its aftermath. This unfortunate scenario is something which IGM Tejada no longer wants any concessionaire to go through again. And with the determined effort of SCWD and the immediate and coordinated response and cooperation from both PrimeWater and AWC, all SCWD water consumers can now be assured of a continued water supply before, during and after every typhoon.