State of Water Calamity in Cebu

[Paul 55,107]

We have got an electric pump hooked up to it to fill a tank on the roof.

I don't suppose you happen to have more recent fotos, showing that, do you?

[+RogerDuMond 12,821]

 

 

The problem with storage is the prohibitive cost. 200 litre "blue drums" cost between 800 to 1200 pesos,

 

Not sure what or if it would be a benefit, but we buy empty margarine barrels from a bakery to store animal feeds. These are probably half the size of the 55 gallon blue drums and cost is 150 pesos each.

[mpt1947 956]

Freeman - May 20 "The Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has recommended to the Provincial Board placing the entire province under a state of water calamity due to the ill effects of the El Nino phenomenon"

 

My own municipality leads the way with a looming water shortage, but it appears this will be province wide before it's over. The state of water calamity triggers access to certain disaster mitigation funds and starts distribution of limited aid to the poor in the mountains. 

 

The local municipal engineer has already recommended a state of water emergency.  I spoke to him yesterday.  This year is expected to be worse than 2006, a year with a 7 month dry period.  One of the main rivers here is already dry.  Another still flows, but water is much lower.  Many of the mountain springs that the farmers depend on are already dry, and at the remaining springs the line up forms well before dawn.  Historically in years like this most deep wells in the mountain will run dry before the rains come.  Crops can't be planted now because the ground is too dry, and that means a food shortage is looming, as well as a water shortage which is already starting.  Everywhere is starting to look very parched and brown.  Available grazing for carabao is limited to wooded and shaded areas and declining fast.

 

The problem is that PAGASA predictions are for a long hot summer period extending several months more, before the rains come.  It's likely that we aren't even 1/2 way into this yet.

 

It's ironic that in a country that gets torrential tropical rains, this years disaster may include drought.

 

In my own extended family we have 13 people living in the mountain on a 6 hectare property.  7 adults and 6 children.  They depend on a well about 500 meters away from home.  The water flow is down more than 3/4 already, and the number of people depending on that well has tripled as other wells run dry.  The wait in line for water at the well is now at least 3 hours most of the day.   The water seems clean, and there is no history of contaminated water at that well, but one of my sister-in-law is already sick, with something kidney related, and I suspect dirty water was a culprit.  If that well dries up, the next nearest is about 2 km from home, but it's a well with a good history in dry times.

 

We had an emergency family meeting last night, and we'll have another next week before I head back to Canada.   Several members of the family have asked me for loans to help get them through the summer.  I've decided against it.  No loans.  Instead, I've committed to buy two sacks of rice a month for at least 3 months, and likely some dried fish and bottled water as well.  Care package will likely be sent once every 2 weeks.   And I've committed to buy all the materials for a deep well on the family property.  And my foreman here at the house will lead my wife's brothers in digging a deep well.  The foreman will get paid, but the brothers won't, beyond the sacks of rice and other aid.  The well will likely go 80 feet down and will take at least a month to drill.  The total team will likely be 6 men, with 2 full time devoted to pitching water for the others, and for the well itself, as they need water down the hole at times.  They believe one of their neighbours will join the team to gain access to the well. They have limited electricity now so a light will be strung up so that the work can begin each day before dawn when it's cooler.

 

We've agreed that the well may not help all the way through the dry period this year.  There's no way around that, though we will likely keep drilling another 10 to 20 feet once we hit water, just to be on safe side.  MOST years the well will be a big help, even if not this year.

 

I wish I wasn't heading back to Canada at the end of next week.  I'd prefer to be here for this.

I hope things work out - we have a 180 foot well.  We have a Water Refill Station, and sell water directly from the Pump in gallon or large containers - but we are even in a water management scheme - we have our Pump available in the early AM for people who need to wash for work.  Later we close that off and sell to the Bulk user,  After a few hours of that we shut that down and sell the Mineral Water.  We try to stay open until 10 - 11 PM to accommodate as many as we can.  We still charge, but we have not and will not raise our prices.  

[oztony 36,106]

I don't suppose you happen to have more recent fotos, showing that, do you?

 

Will have a look on one of the PI iphones when I find it , from memory we put an Italian half hp pump on it . the pump was 8000 php , and 1000 litre (blue plastic) tank on a steel platform that penetrates through the roof and is connected/sits on the structural concrete beams , life was hell for water until we put the well in.

The well with just the dragon pump (bumba) was about 20,000 php.

[Headshot 28,011]

All of the rainwater from my roof runs into a 7500 liter cistern under the cabana in my yard. From the cistern, any excess water flows into the storm drain and down the creek behind my house. The rainwater in the cistern is for fire fighting, and the cistern is now required by Mandaue City for all new construction, since they are too cheap to install fire hydrants and a real water distribution system. There is no way I would use that rainwater for any other purpose (than firefighting) because the amount of diesel particulate matter in the air (black dust) is so high that the runoff water from the roof would probably be unsuitable even for watering plants...especially for any plants producing fruit (fruit trees). I have a 130-foot deep well that has 50 feet of head in it (water up to the 80-foot mark). In other words, I seriously doubt that I will ever have to worry about the well going dry. The water is pumped up from the well to an 1100 liter tank in a tower in the back of my house (above the second floor level). From the storage tank, the water is filtered and pressurized (pressure tank) before it enters the house.

[smokey 21,518]

All of the rainwater from my roof runs into a 7500 liter cistern under the cabana in my yard. From the cistern, any excess water flows into the storm drain and down the creek behind my house. The rainwater in the cistern is for fire fighting, and the cistern is now required by Mandaue City for all new construction, since they are too cheap to install fire hydrants and a real water distribution system. There is no way I would use that rainwater for any other purpose (than firefighting) because the amount of diesel particulate matter in the air (black dust) is so high that the runoff water from the roof would probably be unsuitable even for watering plants...especially for any plants producing fruit (fruit trees). I have a 130-foot deep well that has 50 feet of head in it (water up to the 80-foot mark). In other words, I seriously doubt that I will ever have to worry about the well going dry. The water is pumped up from the well to an 1100 liter tank in a tower in the back of my house (above the second floor level). From the storage tank, the water is filtered and pressurized (pressure tank) before it enters the house.

and you want to give up all that work and cost to get water and move to texas where is the fun in that ..

[Ed1961 216]

After a bit of problems with our first contractor, we finally got our well up and operational today... None too soon as the locals have been without MCWD services for almost a month. At that supposed 120' depth, we managed to get about 9gpm at 45psi from the well. Initially we set it for about 55 psi but we backed it down to 45 psi...  . It took right at an hour and the pump stopped. Happy Familiy and families around us knowing they have a different option then the one other deep well in the area. Id post a pic or two but havent figured out Pauls way of uploading pics  yet

Edited May 29, 2015 by Ed1961

[Ed1961 216]

 

 

We still charge, but we have not and will not raise our prices.

 

and good karma will flow your way 

[Paul 55,107]

 

 

Id post a pic or two but havent figured out Pauls way of uploading pics  yet

 

Email them to me and I can add them to your post. Alternatively, take a look at this thread:

 

http://www.livingincebuforums.com/topic/72443-how-to-post-images-on-this-site/

[Ozepete 8,496]

Cebu:   Good rains forecasted for next week especially towards the weekend. Fingers crossed!

[easy44 5,471]

Raining now in Northern Leyte and rained yesterday afternoon for an hour or so.  Looks like the dry season is coming to an end.  Hope you get some rain on Cebu soon.

[Ed1961 216]

As my wife reminds me, Im living life Philippine style and its not chocolate coated.

Since we didnt pick and choose where her ancestors  could or could not afford to live, we had the option of helping make life more bearable or moving farther away. We opted for both, but also opted to make some changes for the better for the family and community before we find our own little escape.  In the area the family is at, most everyone has to get water from one source of supply. A deepwell owned by aunt. Her rate is  P50 per cubic meter for water to anyone who can afford to pay for their own line to connect. For the others, its a typical 1 peso per bucket. Maybe its her way of keeping the poor even poorer.  With a 70' deepwell and 3 plastic 900 liter tanks 10 feet above the ground,  she provides trickle service.

Hence our deepwell project.

Our land is in one of the "interior" areas of Labangon. From the gravel to sand to concrete, etc, everything has to be hand carried in through those small passages with limited access by motor scooter.

With no ability to get a motor driven well digging machine in, the well had to be percussion drilled manually. It took a few weeks but finally was completed at 120'. 

The agreement was signed by myself and the owner of the drilling company. Once signed, the owner then sent one of his sons to oversee the project. If I had known this would be the case, I would have chosen another contractor as the kid is making good at ruining his fathers business reputation. Anyways... costs for accomplishing the drilling was contracted at P69,000  (standard P30,000 fee for P250 per meter), Goulds SJ10 Jet Pump,  and some basic materials like the sleeve and piping and connectors, extractor, foot valve, etc. morning snack, lunch break and afternoon snack of course were our expenses.  They cut me a break on costs, with consideration given that they would have the tower project.

As a FYI, I did have the unexpected  costs of 2 sacrificial ducks and the other 2 that were sacrificed improperly.

 

 

 

My goal was water on the ground before I flew back to the US in April.  I met my goal.


Before the well was completed, the owners son (lets call him Mr Shabu) started his crew on building the base for the tower. His dad thought a 1 meter thick floating reinforced tower base would withstand anything, but his son thought a 4 inch pad would do just fine. I put a halt to this as no contract or agreement was in place for costs, etc and he had yet got me water on the ground. 

Hindsight 20/20, I should have let them leave after the well was dug, but I kept to my word of giving them consideration for the tower build, but the pad was going to be by my spec. Next step was to get my own crew to start prepping the pad.

Being here long enough, I realized the "way of the land" when it comes to hiring.

If you hire relatives, they will show late, take a long lunch, want to end early and demand high pay. If you complain they get offended.  If you dont hire them, they also get offended.  After two earlier lower budget projects, and the problems i encountered, I opted to have them offended and handpicked my own crew from the area im renting in. It worked out so much better for me anyways.

With team picked, we started by hauling in materials. Being a hands on person, its extremely difficult not to get involved. After 2 days and getting ill from the heat, I learned my lesson. Leave the labor to the laborers that are accustomed to the environment.

 

Anyways... after a lot of work some "fllexing" on my part and additional costs ( see other thread about integrity), we finally have a good private source of water to last generations ( i hope).

 

[cebubird 5,386]

Looks a lot like our tower-wish I had gone ahead and had well drilled also. During this dry spell, there has been couple times that not enough pressure from water line to fill tank at night,so we end up with no water for a day.

[easy44 5,471]

Wow!  Nice installation!  How much did you end up spending on the entire project including tower?

[oztony 36,106]

 

 

Being here long enough, I realized the "way of the land" when it comes to hiring.

 

Great job Ed , and I would say that is the difference with onsite direct involvement , nice work congrats.