Completion of five new Baguio Water District (BWD) deep wells will further close the gap in the city’s 60,000 cubic meters daily demand, especially during peak tourism season.

BWD general manager engineer Salvador Royeca, in a report to the city government on Monday, said the Kadaclan, Bakakeng Norte, Balacbac, Camp 7 and South Drive deep wells are now 100 percent complete.

“This is part of the continuing effort to boost the supply, especially with the growing demand that goes with an increase in population and economic activity,” he said.

BWD, the city’s only water concessionaire, spends about PHP6 million to PHP10 million for the drilling of each deep well.

Early this year, Royeca said each deep well can produce an average of 140 gallons per minute, supplementing the 68 existing wells that provide water to at least 90 percent of the city’s households.

Before the commissioning of the new wells, the city’s daily supply is about 45,000 cubic meters, while during peak tourism season, the demand increases by at least 4,500 cubic meters.

Royeca said drilling of eight more wells is ongoing, some are targeted to be operational this year.

These projects include the Richwood Subdivision in Guisad; the Kisad parallel deep well; Ferguson parallel deep well; the Happy Glen Loop parallel production well; the Slaughterhouse production well; the Queen of Angels production well; the Irisville Irisan production well; the Ciudad Grande Phase 2 production.

Projects that are for awarding to winning bidders are those in Wright Park, Purok 2 Irisan, Buyog 2, Old Lucban 2, and M. Roxas 1 parallel deep well in the Pinsao Pilot Project watershed area, as well as the deepening of the Montinola production well. (PNA)