The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will roll out technologies in some communities in Eastern Visayas next year, meant to address the water crisis.

The Safe Water Treatment System (SafeWaTrS) and Water Desalination Technology projects will initially cover five communities in Eastern Visayas in the first year of project rollout, DOST Eastern Visayas Regional Director John Glen Ocaña said in a phone interview on Monday.

SafeWaTrS technology will be installed in selected communities in Tacloban City, the regional capital and Borongan City, the capital of Eastern Samar province. The technology is capable of turning dirty freshwater into safe drinking water.

The system developed by the DOST-Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) is a compact, mobile and decentralized water treatment solution designed for immediate deployment in underserved and disaster-prone communities.

“With a production capacity of up to 2,000 liters per day, the unit operates primarily through an integrated solar power subsystem, enabling independent functionality from centralized electrical infrastructure and ensuring operational continuity during power disruptions and climate-related emergencies,” Ocaña said.

Meanwhile, the Water Desalination Technology will be set up in the towns of Almagro, Samar; Hinunangan, Southern Leyte and Naval, Biliran.

The proposed intervention utilizes a desalination system developed by DOST-ITDI to convert seawater and brackish water into potable water for coastal and island communities.

The technology has a treatment capacity of around 40 liters per hour and follows a modular design, allowing additional reverse osmosis modules to be installed to increase production capacity based on community demand, according to Ocaña.

The project, which will cost PHP500,000 each, is DOST’s measure to mitigate the impact of Super El Niño in the country. (PNA)