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      The implementation of the proposed P10,600-million Bohol Integrated Water Supply System Master Plan can only be viable with the role of private sector.

      This was according to Governor Erico B. Aumentado after the presentation of the draft master plan Monday morning last week by Woodfields Consultants, Incorporated which was commissioned by the Local Governance Development Program or LGDP of the Australian Agency for International Development.

      The master plan will provide a total average daily production of 208,353 cubic meter that will benefit about 1,078,600 population.

      The necessary facilities to be established include a source facility, water treatment plant, storage facilities, transmission facilities, pump stations, power source development, land and right-of-way (ROW) acquisition, stored materials, equipment and vehicles.

      For the master plan to be feasible, Aumentado advised WCI to refine the details of the master plan in a way that it would identify the role of private investors in the implementation of the project for the purpose of economic internal rate of return.

      The governor wants the consultant to come up with more options.

      Aumentado also noted that the project will less likely become sustainable with zero interest as presented by WCI.

      The governor also said it would be difficult to gain support from NEDA with the concept of zero percent interest.

      He stressed the significant role of a private investor to implement the proposed water supply system master plan.

      Engr. Eduardo Santos, the president of WCI president said that Phase 1 of the project costs P10,512 million, while Phase 2 costs PP88 million.

      He said phase 1 covers the period 2010 to 2024 wherein the construction of major water facilities will be undertaken, and phase 2 covering 2025 to 2035.

      Construction will start in 2010 and completed in 2012. The initial operation will start in 2013, Santos said.

      Aumentado, for his part, said the provincial government “doesn’t have the necessary resources to back this ambitious project” and it would be hard to convince the national government with this concept. And, the AusAID, who will give the grant, “may not like it”.

      With private investor, “implementation will be accelerated, and the people will be assured of its sustainability”.

      On the other hand, WCI also needs to refine some details in water supply sourcing system.

      The project involves tapping selected river basin which include the Rivers of Abatan, Loboc, Manaba, Carood, Ipil, Inabanga, which can consolidate total net quantity of 7.91 cubic meter per second.

      On this, Aumentado commented that the Wahig River must also be considered as main source of water stock in Inabanga River, and Pamacsalan River as one large water source.

      As to the clustering of the rivers, NIA Provincial Administrator Calixto Seroje, commented that it won’t be feasible because Bohol has many inland bodies of water that will serve as sources of supply.

      In the proposed master plan, municipalities were grouped into clusters based on the source of water supply.

      It was proposed that Abatan River Cluster shall provide for the municipalities of Antequera, Catigbian, San Isidro, Sagbayan, Balilihan, Sikatuna, and Corella, while the Loboc 1 river cluster will supply for Loboc, Loay, Lila, Dimiao, Valencia, Alburquerque, Baclayon, Tagbilaran, Dauis, Panglao, and Cortes.

      Loboc 2 cluster will provide for Sevilla, Bilar, Batuan, Carmen, Dagohoy, Sierra Bulones, and Pilar, while Manaba cluster will be for Garcia-Hernandez, Jagna, Duero,

Guindulman, Anda, and Candijay.

      Carood river cluster will serve Mabini, Alicia, San Miguel, Danao, Ubay, and C. P. Garcia, while Ipil will serve Bien Unido, Trinidad, Talibon, Getafe, and Buenavista.

      Inabanga River cluster will serve Inabanga, Maribojoc, Loon, Calape, Clarin, and Tubigon.

      The project’s alternative schemes involve development and evaluation for each of the seven river clusters wherein each scheme will include source development, pumping system, treatment system, reservoir and sumps, transmission lines for the purpose of delivering required bulk water supply at the offtake of each municipality at a pressure of not less than 14 meters. (AV-PGMA)

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