One of the most populated among Legazpi’s 70 villages stand to benefit from the free potable water supply as the city government formally inaugurated on Wednesday the newly constructed water system facility in the southern portion of the locality.

Barangay Banquerohan now has its own water system that will answer the needs of at least 4,000 households, Mayor Noel E. Rosal said in an interview.

He said the city government-funded project uses modern technology, with solar panels worth PHP6.5 million and pipelines and a submersible pump costing PHP3.5 million.

“The water system has 32 solar panels that supply power to the submersible pump. Because the system is solar-powered, the distribution of water to the residence is uninterrupted even during brownout or in times of typhoons,” Rosal said.

He said his administration will also install faucets with a 50-meter interval from the water pump to give residents easy access to potable water.

“We have existing pipelines but we need to rehabilitate and upgrade the water system to ensure sufficient supply of water particularly in the southern portion of the city,” Rosal noted.

City Engineer Clement Ibo, on the other hand, said the project is a 280 foot-deep water system that can produce about 300 cubic liters of drinking water per minute, which is enough for the consumption of Banquerohan villagers.

He noted, however, that it is the responsibility of the barangay to maintain and protect the water system.

Meanwhile, Rosal said the city government is now in the final negotiation process with two water distributors, one of which is Mactan Rock, that can deliver 5,500 cubic liters of water per day as additional supply to the households and business establishments operating in the city. (PNA)