Butuan City Orders 11 Barangays to Install Emergency Water Systems Amid Worsening Shortage

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — The Butuan City government has given 11 barangays hardest hit by the city’s worsening water shortage 30 days to establish emergency water systems, according to the Butuan City Public Information Office (PIO). Mayor Lawrence Fortun has directed the affected barangays to immediately prepare water supply projects for residents suffering from low water pressure or prolonged water interruptions, the PIO said. The 11 barangays are Ambago, Bancasi, Bit-os, Bonbon, Cabcabon, Libertad, Lumbocan, Masao, Pangabugan, San Vicente and Villa Kananga. READ: Butuan declares state of calamity as water crisis worsens Under the proposed projects, barangays may purchase and install water tanks and platforms, pumps, filtration systems, and water tankers, as well as other equipment needed to establish emergency water supply systems. The city government has also recommended that the barangays use 30 percent of their Quick Response Funds (QRF) to finance the projects. Fortun directed that the projects be made operational within 30 days, while the city government will provide the barangays with technical assistance and help facilitate the documentary requirements needed for their implementation, according to the PIO. The initiative marks the latest emergency response to a water crisis that prompted Butuan to declare a state of calamity on Sept. 5. The calamity declaration allowed the city government and affected barangays to tap emergency funds and implement measures to ease the water shortage. Before the latest barangay-based intervention, authorities had identified several emergency measures, including water rationing, installing storage facilities, procuring water tankers and pumps, and searching for alternative water sources. READ: Butuan’s state of calamity declaration to hasten emergency response The Butuan City Water District earlier reported that 18,285 service connections, involving an estimated 91,425 residents, were experiencing low water pressure or no water supply as prolonged dry conditions reduced available water. With the 30-day target, the city is now banking on barangay-level water systems to provide immediate relief for thousands of residents as authorities pursue longer-term solutions to the city’s water supply crisis./coa