UN official fears seawater intrusion into city aquifer

AFTER BARELY HURDLING ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS LIKE POLLUTION ISSUES AND DEADLY EMISSIONS, THE PROPOSED ABOITIZPOWER COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT IS UNDER FIRE ANEW: THE DAVAO CITY GOVERNMENT IS AGAINST THE PLANT PUMPING OUT WATER FROM THE UNDERGROUND RESERVOIR FOR ITS COOLING SYSTEM

BY ROGER M. BALANZA

A visiting United Nations expert on water resource management has warned of seawater intrusion into the city aquifer if the local government allows uncontrolled use of its groundwater reserve.

KHAN: Scary scenario

When that happens, it would be irreversible, said Dr. Shahbaz Khan, Chief of Section on Sustainable Water Resources Development and Management of the United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Khan’s warning comes as the Davao City local government is locked at the crossroad of whether or not to approve the controversial AboitizPower P25-billion, 300-MW Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion (CFB) coal-fired power plant.

The plant, to be located atop the city aquifer in Binugao, Toril would need about 1,500 cubic meters of fresh water a day for its cooling system to be pumped out of the city’s groundwater reserve.

 The city depends upon the underground reservoir for drinking water and other domestic needs of its 1.4 million inhabitants.

Although already endorsed by the Davao City Council, the project of the Aboitiz-owned company has suffered a snag.

Last week, Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who heads the local

DUTERTE with members of the Davao City Council

legislative body, said he would oppose the project following information the plant would siphon off water from the underground water source. He said the groundwater reserve should be protected for the future generations of Dabawenyos.

Duterte had suggested conduct of further study on the potential threat of the coal plant to the water resource or that AboitizPower draw out water for its cooling system from surface water like rivers.

The Davao City Water District (DCWD), the city’s water utility firm which sources out supply from the reservoir located in the Dumoy-Toril area south of the city, said the water reserve has a lifespan of only 50 years if no alternative sources are found. The DCWD is developing a gravity-type surface water development project utilizing an upland river to supply half of the population in the city’s northern district. The project is aimed at easing pressure on the water reservoir already being depleted by several-intensive industries.

Khan is no stranger to Davao City, regularly coming here to assist local stakeholders in planning water resource management strategies through HELP Network Davao, which he help organized five years ago.

Khan bared the scary scenario of seawater intrusion into the underground water reservoir at the sideline of the 3-day Symposium on Water Resource Management and Hydro Hazard held in Davao City last week.

ABELLA

The symposium was organized by the HELP Davao Network headed by Davao City councilor Marissa Salvador-Abella, chair of the city council committee on environment. Kahn is an advisor to HELP Davao Network.

 

Once seawater seeps in, it would be irreversible, Khan told a group of water conservation stakeholders during a dinner composed of Davao City councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling, former chair of the city council committee on environment and author of the landmark Davao City Watershed Management, Protection and Conservation Ordinance,  Abella, council committee on environment chair and members of HELP Network Davao.

CABLING: Author of the landmark Davao City Watershed Code

Cabling said Khan told his group that over-utilization of the reservoir could deplete volume and force seawater to seep in to contaminate the reserve.

Seawater intrusion is now happening in the water resources of Cebu City and Manila due to over-utilization of their underground water reserves.

Khan, offhand, told the group, the AboitizPower would pose greatest threat if it pumps out water from the groundwater reserve, the plant being located at the aquifer in the coastal area where seawater and fresh water meet.

Seawater is four times denser than fresh water, said Cabling quoting Khan. Which means that, according to Khan, seawater intrusion would be easier if there is depletion in the reservoir, which would need four times the pressure of fresh water for the intrusion to be prevented.

Khan, an Australian of Pakistani descent, also heads the  UNESCO includes the Water Education for Sustainable Development and  Hydrology for Environment, Life and Policy (HELP), which  advises UN member states on environmental and water management policies the Asia-Pacific and African regions.                 

            While here Khan witnessed the launch of the Customized IWRM Guidelines for Davao City and Region XI, a comprehensive guide on water resource management developed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)  and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) regional offices in the Davao Region with technical and fincial assistance from UNESCO. ROGER M. BALANZA

 

Saving the watershed areas

FROMTHEMAILS

DENR, DCWD INK PACT ON WATERSHED PROTECTION 

BY EDMARSON M. SOLA  

Davao City Water District and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources XI sealed a renewal of partnership for the protection and rehabilitation of Talomo-Lipadas watershed last March 7, 2011 through a memorandum of agreement signed by DCWD General Manager Rodora N. Gamboa and DENR regional executive director Jim O. Sampulna.

THE MAJESTIC MOUNT APO, the Philippines' tallest peak

The DENR and the DCWD pledged to support each other in terms of technical expertise, manpower, and the sourcing of funds for the sustainability of the watershed project. Among the terms agreed upon by the parties are the deputization of DCWD qualified personnel as forest officers in the area covered by the Mt. Talomo-Lipadas watershed rehabilitation project; provision of technical assistance, staff and field personnel in jointly carrying out various activities related to the said watershed project.

“This undertaking is pursuant to the literal call of nature which we heed to sustain a balanced ecology in order to address two vital issues of today, the climate change and the looming water shortage” said Director Sampulna.

Sampulna said that the DENR is encouraging different sectors in helping the government to revive the status of the forests and in bringing back the status of watersheds in their prime condition by taking charge a definite portion of our forests like what the DCWD is doing.

Gamboa, on the otherhand, said that the DCWD does not want to become complacent despite the success of its rehabilitation efforts located in the three watersheds in the city that are all vital to water sustainability, namely, Mt. Talomo-Lipadas; Mt. Tipolog-Tamugan and Malagos.

The DCWD’s watershed initiative in those areas was awarded this year as the Best Integrated Watershed Management by the Philippine Association of Water Districts (PAWD) during the 32nd PAWD convention held here in the city last month.

The watershed rehabilitation activities of DCWD started in the early 1980’s in Malagos through tree planting in partnership with various sectors. In 1993, DCWD began implementing a more comprehensive, sustainable, and community–based watershed rehabilitation program in the Mt. Talomo-Lipadas watershed area, particularly in the barangays of New Daliaon and Tungkalan in Toril District and Manuel Guianga in Tugbok district.

Two years later in 1995, after organizing people’s organizations in the host barangays, DCWD began planting indigenous trees. Since then, it continues to plant new trees and utilizes these strategies to ensure the project’s success: community organizing; reforestation, rehabilitation, protection; and maintenance; monitoring and evaluation; information, education, communication (IEC) and advocacy; linkaging and coordination; and adopt-a-site project.

PUBLISHED IN THE DURIAN POST WEEKLY 60TH EDITION

Davao City Water District New Board of Directors

Bangayan, Aldevera retain seats

Businessman Eduardo A. Bangayan and lawyer Charlemagne B. Aldevera have been given another six years to sit as members of the Board of Directors (BOD) of the Davao City Water District (DCWD)., after they were reappointed by Mayor Sara Duterte.

Their term would have expired in December 31, 2010 but Duterte signed Bangayan’s and Aldevera’s extended tenure on December 9, 2010, which starts January 1, 2011..

Bangayan, a prominent and respected businessman, currently serves as the DCWD BOD Chair, and will be serving his fourth term as Director.   

Aldevera, a practising lawyer currently serves as the chair of the committees on Bids & Awards, and Engineering & Technology.

DCWD said the two complete the current 5-member DCWD Board of Directors that include Atty. Eliseo R. Braganza, Jr.  for the civic sector, Mrs. Ma. Luisa L. Jacinto for the women sector, and lawyer Abdul M. Dataya for the professional sector.

The Board has harmoniously worked together in the pursuit of the water utility’s expansion and improvement projects.

The major projects completed under the current Board of Directors are the pipelaying at Bunawan-Lasang, expansion of the northern part of Dumoy Water Supply System to Davao International Airport and southern part of Panacan Water Supply System; commencement of the development of Indangan Water Supply System; and commissioning of Panacan production well no. 3 and Panorama Reservoir no. 2.

With the BOD’s full support, DCWD successfully forged two Twinning Projects in 2010. The first was with SAJ Holdings–Ranhill Utilities Berhad, a Malaysian  water utility, which led to the significant drop of DCWD’s Non Revenue Water, and the second was with a Dutch water provider, Vitens Evides International, that resulted to the grant of Php 5.5 million fund for the establishment of a water facility in Tibungco Relocation-2.

DCWD’s Citizen’s Charter was also formulated during the current BOD’s term. DCWD was among the first few government agencies that has completely submitted its charter to the Civil Service Commission (CSC II).

The charter serves as a pledge of effective and quality service to the public.

With the DCWD Citizen’s Charter aimed at eliminating red tape, all DCWD transactions are publicly displayed, DCWD said.

Under the leadership of Bangayan, DCWD stood firm on its advocacy in advancing the interest of environmental stewardship, particularly the preservation of Tamugan River as the city’s future source of drinking water.

The management and staff welcomed the reappointment of Bangayan and Aldevera.

“Their wisdom is really an asset for the utility” DCWD general manager Rhodora Gamboa said.

She said the DCWD management and staff is bent to work closely with the Board of Directors to jointly meet DCWD’s goal of sufficient and efficient delivery of services, Gamboa said.

‘Cemetery kids’ to have own school

            Promises should never be broken, said Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as he stood pat on his request to Davao City Water District (DCWD) to donate its seminar house in Father Selga street to the Davao City National High School (DCNHS) on F. Torres St..

            The DCWD building would be converted into classrooms specifically for students whose families live near the public cemetery in Wireless to spare them the agony of walking the long distance to DCHS more than a kilometer away.

            The idea of the seldom used DCWD property being developed into a DCNHS annex cropped up when Duterte, sometime ago, saw large groups of students walking along F. Torres St.

            He would stop to ask questions and found out the DCNHS students were walking home to Father Selga.

            Right there and then, Duterte said he promised to spare them the agony of walking the long distance and would ask DCWD to donate its seminar house to be converted into a DCNHS annex for the “cemetery kids.”

            But there appears to be a problem. The Department of Education wants the building for special education for handicapped children, an idea that did not sit well with Duterte, having made a promise to the “cemetery kids” that he would have the building for them.

            “I have given my word,” said Duterte on television two weeks back.

            He had talked with DepEd people who apparently relented and dropped their plan to convert the building for special children.

            Special children are special children but we can find a place for them, he said, adding that he had learned that the Fr. Selga area up to the Bankerohan area have numerous students studying at DCNHS who have to walk to school daily. RMB

 

 

DCWD hands off in Rody-Sara row over Tamugan River

The Davao City Water District (DCWD) is not about to get caught in the middle of a ‘quarrel’ between a father and his daughter.

Mayor Sara Duterte and Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte have different views over Tamugan River which DCWD plans to tap for its surface water development project, which the former supports.

Vice Mayor Duterte has a different view: Tamugan River could be tapped for water…..and power as in the proposed hydropower project of the Aboitiz-owned Hedcor Inc.

Mayor Duterte said she would veto any legislation by the Duterte City Council to amend the Watershed Code to allow the Hedcor project, leading her to a collision course with her father.

The confrontation could end up into a flood of emotions centering on environmental protection and the DCWD, a water utility firm, will end up literally washing its hands off the issue, said DCWD general manager Rodora Gamboa.

We will not get involved in the looming battle, she said. Gamboa said the water firm will just wait for the decision of the city’s officials.

But Gamboa said she may meet with Mayor Duterte to discuss the issue about Tamugan River’s importance on the city’s future need for water source.

“We should have an alternative source of water so that what happens in Manila will not happen here. Although there’s no possibility that would happen here soon, we should not be complacent about it,” Gamboa said.

DCWD currently pumps out water from the Dumoy aquifer, which studies showed would be depleted in 50 years.

VISITING TAMUGAN

 

Davao City Water District (DCWD) board members Abdul Dataya and Maria Luisa Jacinto, DCWD Asst. General Manager for Operations Edwin Regalado, together with company staff visit Tamugan River following the recent agreement with Hedcor, Inc. for joint use of the said river.EDMARSON SOLA

Mayor Duterte, Inday Sara clash over amendments to Watershed Code

Rody, Sara defer on stand in

Vice Mayor Sara Duterte wants amendments introduced to the Davao City Watershed Code done after the elections.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte wants it now.

Mayor Duterte himself has avoided a point of conflict with his daughter, agreeing there may not be time for the amendment due to the election campaign period.

The mayor earlier had told city councilors to amend the code before election to resolve the row between the Davao City Water District and Hedcor Inc., which are planning to tap Tamugan River for their projects.

The Watershed Code needed to be amended to allow the DCWD surface water development project and the Hedcor hydro power plant.

Vice Mayor Sara Duterte had frowned on Mayor Duterte’s suggestion for an early amendment, saying it was best that this be done by the next city council.

Mayor Duterte said there is logic in the vice mayor’s point to defer the amendment after the elections.

“The vice mayor has already expressed her opinion. We will just have to discuss it intelligently, come up with a result of what we’ve talked about,” Mayor Duterte.

But the mayor said he stands pat on his stand that the Hedcor and DCWD should proceed proceed for them to be able to respond to the water and power needs of the people.

No to amendment to Watershed Code

Environmental group PANALIPDAN Southern Mindanao together with the Tamugan Farmers Association (TAFA) and other cause-oriented groups spearheaded a protest action against the plans to amend the Davao City Watershed Code.

 “We urge the Davao City Council to stand by the watershed code and the principles governing its drafting to preserve our remaining fresh water resource and surrounding land and forests of our city,” said Francis Morales, convener of PANALIPDAN.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has urged the city council to amend the code authored by councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling for the hydropower project of Hedcor and the surface water development project of the Davao City Water District (DCWD) to proceed.

The utility firm have been locked in legal battle for years over rights to use the Tamugan River for their projects, but have agreed of late in a compromise agreement for mutual use of the river.

 PANALIPDAN cautions that the planned hydropower plants within the Tamugan Panigan watersheds will just end up like the Pulangi IV and Agus dams whose power generation decreased by hundred folds due to government neglect, siltation, and the inevitable impact of climate change such as the current dry spell the country faces.

PANALIPDAN reminded the City council with regards to the committee hearing wherein the DCWD’s surface water development project was suspiciously kowtowing to the eventual privatization of the public water utility.

“We have long warned that despite the DCWD’s seeming opposition, it is only waiting for a favorable deal with HEDCOR before it surrenders to a compromise. The danger with DCWD’s project is that it operates from the build to operate transfer (BOT) and from acquiring millions of loan in order to fund its project thus leading to its privatization,” said Morales.

 

 

Davao City Watershed Code to be amended

By ROGER M. BALANZA          

The author of the Davao City Watershed Conservation, Protection, Management Ordinance said plans are afoot to amend the landmark legislation as two companies battle over rights to use a major river here.

            The ordinance also known as the Watershed Code has declared the Talomo-Panigan-Tamugan watershed area as conservation area that bans introduction of any development projects.

            Davao City councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling, author of the code, said that the city council needs more data and information on threat to the conservation area by the projects of the Aboitiz-owned Hedcor Inc. and the state-owned Davao City Water District (DCWD).

            Hedcor is building a hydropower facility in Tamugan River that is also being eyed by DCWD for its surface water development project.

            DCWD does not want the Hedcor project in Tamugan as it would affect the viability of its gravity-type water system, while the Aboitiz-owned power firm is seeking a compromise to have the two projects pushed through.

            If both or any one of the project is to be implemented, there is need to amend the Watershed Code, said Cabling, who authored the code while chair of the council environment committee.

 

Mixed-use concept

 

            Cabling said the amendment could tilt towards the mixed-use concept, where development aggression could be allowed into conservation areas like Tamugan.

            He noted that the city’s need for growing water demand requires DCWD to find alternative sources to ease pressure on the Talomo aquifer where it presently pumps out water for the city’s 1.4 million people.

            Cabling also said the power crisis in Mindanao demands more sources of electricity which could be responded to by the Hedcor hydropower project.

            But we should be careful in coming out with the final decision, he said.

            Mayor Rodrigo Duterte wanted to break the deadlock between Hedcor and DCWD and has told the companies to come into agreement by March 20.

            Cabling said, the Talomo-Panigan-Tamugan (TPT) watershed area is one of 8 watershed areas in Davao City and possesses the highest recharge capacity rate and comprises the main tributary to Davao River.

 

Threats

 

 

            Environmentalists here are opposing the twin projects, but some sectors say they could be allowed if studies show they would not be posing threats to the environment and communities.

            Cabling himself is deep into his own study to support the amendment and would be attending a major conference on watershed protection this week in Malaysia where he would discuss the threats faced by local watersheds.

He would also seek data and information from international agencies like the United Nations Educational, Educational and Scientific Organization (Unesco) to assist the local government in its final decision.

In the conference, Cabling would read before foreign watershed experts a paper titled “STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE USE AND COLLABORATIVE MANAGEMENT IN THE TALOMO-PANIGAN-TAMUGAN (TPT) WATERSHEDS.”

           

The present debates over use of Tamugan River would be at the center of the presentation, said Cabling.

We need the vital information from experts because stakeholders in Davao City are still weighing the physical, environmental, biological, ecological, social and economic impact of the projects and the communities, he said.

            The Malaysian watershed protection conference is organized by Unesco and its water conservation agency Hydrology for Life, Environment and Policy (HELP) chaired by Dr. Shabaz Kahn, who helped form HELP Network-Davao which is chaired by Cabling.

 

 

 

DAVAO CITY COUNCIL DROWNS HEDCOR HYDROPOWER PROJECT

A victory for Davao City Water District

By ROGER M. BALANZA

Two committees of the Davao City Council have slammed the last nail on the coffin of the Aboitiz-owned Hedcor, Inc. which is planning a multi-million peso hydropower dam project in upland Calinan district.

The twin bodies’ decision to deny an endorsement for the project came even as the Hedcor project tapping Tamugan River has been vehemently opposed by Dabawenyos.

Hedcor is locked in battle with the Davao City Water District (DCWD) over Tamugan River, as the water firm has proposed to tap the river as an alternate source for its water sources.

The committees however did not say if they are tilting towards favoring DCWD, but indicated water was more important than power.

In a joint report, the committee on energy and the committee on environment junked the proposal —contained in two legislative items—related to the Hedcor to the hydro electric power project.

Hedcor needs the endorsement of the city council before it could proceed with the project as mandated by the local government code. The endorsement has been meeting rough waters in the city council in view of the public opposition and the Watershed Protection, Management and Conservation Code which placed Tamugan River under the category of a conservation area. The code authored by councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling bans any commercial project in conservation areas.

In a corresponding resolution, environment chair Leonardo Avila and energy chair Pilar Braga opposed ’”granting Hedcor a favorable endorsement” and terminated further proceedings on Legislative Item No, 984-B, an invitation to Hedcor to attend deliberation on its proposal, and Legislative Item No. 1125, where Hedcor sought approval and endorsement of its project from the city council.

The committees had conducted ocular inspection and hearings as civil society here opposed the Hedcor projects in petition papers submitted to the city council. The DCWD, which was granted first a water permit by the National Water Resources Board (NWRB)—later revoked by the agency which issued another permit to Hedcor—said only one project could exist in the area adding Hedcor’s hydropower project would affect the viability of the surface water project.

The joint committee report and the resolution have already been submitted for plenary discussion.

The junking of the Hedcor proposal comes as a partial victory to DCWD whose plan to tap Tamugan for a surface water development project has been delayed by Hedcor’s proposal to build the hydropower dam using the same river.

DCWD spokesperson Imelda Magsuci said the surface water project would ease off pressure from the Talomo aquifer where the water utility firm pumps out water for the city’s need. When operational, the Tamugan River project could provide the same volume of water drawn out of Talomo, whose underground reserve, according to studies, could be gone in 50 years if no alternative sources are found.

The joint committee report based its recommendation on studies on the twin projects, including that undertaken by the City Planing and Development Office.

“DCWD and Hedcor are competing for the use of available water in the Talomo-Panigan and Tamugan river areas. Moreover, it is clear from the hydrology study conducted by Hedcor that the available flow from the Talomo, Panigan and Kidale (Upper Tamugan) Rivers will not be sufficient for the requirements of both Hedcor and DCWD,” according to the report.

In junking the Hedcor project, the Braga and Avila said they are “not disfavoring hydroelectric power per se, as just like in any development, mitigating measures are the order of the day.” However, they said the “City Government recognizes the principle that water despite its abundance is not an infinite resource that must be protected, conserved and managed to maintain its sustainability.”

Critics of the Hedcor project said it could find other rivers to rap outside Davao City, stressing that based on studies Tamugan River is the only river in the city available for a surface water project.

The report also noted that the city council and Mayor Rodrigo Duterte had intervened in the conflict, and that Hedcor had tried to provide solutions that would allow the two projects to coexist, but that DCWD has rejected them.

The committee report also did not give weight to the water permit issued to Hedcor by NWRB, saying the Watershed Code would have the final say on the issue.

Cabling said the Watershed Code has been embedded in the Amended Zoning Code which would have to be amended if any of the two projects are allowed in Tamugan.

As the author of the code, I would be the first to stand up against Hedcor, said Cabling, who Had openly supported the DCWD project.