By Mary Judaline Partlow
DUMAGUETE CITY – Metro Dumaguete Water (MDW) has urged the public to report suspicious persons and activities near water meter installations after thieves stole about 20 meters in several areas of the city in recent weeks.
Katrin Folgo, MDW spokesperson, said in a Tuesday interview that the thefts have caused unquantified water losses, raising concerns about their impact on conservation efforts as the region prepares for the possible effects of the El Niño phenomenon.
She warned that stealing water meters could affect water supply, especially as the utility provider and the public are being encouraged to conserve water ahead of potentially dry conditions.
“The thefts were reported in the past two weeks in areas that were not highly populated, and the water meters were disconnected from the water pipes, hence leaving some leakages,” Folgo said.
The incidents were reported in the villages of Camanjac, Batinguel, Candau-ay, Junob, Pulantubig, Bajumpandan and Daro.
Folgo said the water firm suspects the perpetrators may be operating in an organized manner, noting that they appear to have the tools and knowledge needed to detach the meters from their bases.
Meanwhile, about 10,000 public school learners in Dumaguete City have benefited from MDW’s Hugas Luwas Handwashing Facility program, which promotes proper hygiene and handwashing among students.
The water utility recently donated its tenth handwashing facility to Candau-ay Elementary School, expanding access to water and sanitation in public schools.
The donation was part of the firm’s celebration of Global Handwashing Day, a United Nations initiative to raise awareness of proper hand hygiene.
On Oct. 17, MDW also planted 5,000 mangrove propagules in Barangay Banilad in partnership with the Allied Mangrove Planters Organization (AMPO), with assistance from the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce, Incorporated.
The Dumaguete City Water District, Department of Health, Rotary Club of Dumaguete South, Philippine Ports Authority, Land Transportation Office in Bais City, and MDW employees and volunteers supported the activity.
The initiative highlights MDW’s commitment to environmental stewardship through its ridge-to-reef program, which links upland watershed protection with the conservation of coastal ecosystems. (PNA)
