By Ercel Maandig
Two big subdivisions in Igpit and Malanang villages of Opol town in the province of Misamis Oriental is the pilot areas and testing ground for a future bulk water supply of the entire town.
Opol is the first municipality of the western part of Misamis Oriental after the village of Bulua and Iponan here and just 45 minutes ride from the City proper.
On Saturday morning, the municipal government of Opol lead by Mayor Jay Bago is heading a 2 days dry run of a potable water supply contracted by the Cagayan de Oro City Water District (COWD) to South Balibago Water Resources Incorporated.
The local government unit of Opol identified two uphill subdivisions namely Southville in Igpit and Citi Homes in Malanang as pilot and testing ground for a future bulk water supply project that would escalate the entire town if tested of a quality service and provision of drinking water.The two villages in Opol are adjacent to the boundary of Cagayan de Oro City across Iponan river , the last village of western Cagayan de Oro.
The dry run was witnessed also by COWD Department Head for Engineering Engr.Moses Echano and South Balibago Water Resources Incorporated Plant Manager Engr. Raul Rivas.
Engr. Echano said that Opol local government unit and COWD identified an elevated area to test the capability of pipes from the surface source in Bolao river in Iponan this city running through a reservoir in Youngsville to households of both Youngsville and City Homes. If proven quality and can cope up the demand of the residents of the entire town, that’s the time that they will again made a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a bulk water supply. In this city, COWD has an existing contract with Cagayan de Oro Bulk Water Incorporated (COBI) to serve 80 villages in the City.
The bulk water provider in Opol on the other hand through Engr.Rivas said that their company was established in 2021 at Bolao river in Iponan here and can produced 95,000 liters of water a day equivalent to 475 drums of water.Youngsville Subdivision alone who has more than 350 households needs 7 drums as ration per day.
The said subdivision has a reservoir and Water treatment plant that has a volume of 10 Million liters a day which source is a surface water from Bolao River.
Mayor Bago added that the water supply will be operational on Monday June 19 after a two days flashout and disinfecting on Saturday and Sunday while the inauguration will be on June 26.
