By Chris V. Panganiban
Inquirer Mindanao
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — More than 1,300 households in this town have experienced water shortages or service interruptions since June as prolonged dry weather reduced the yield of local water sources, according to the San Francisco Water District (SFWD).
Households in elevated portions of the town center have been among the most affected.
SFWD General Manager Elmer Luzon, however, sought to ease concerns raised on social media, saying only about 5 percent, or 442 households, had completely lost their water supply.
The affected households are located in three barangays in the poblacion and in neighboring Barangay Alegria, where the water district has been conducting daily water rationing.
Another 10 percent, or about 880 households, have experienced intermittent water service, particularly during peak-demand hours in the early morning and evening.
The SFWD has 10,789 active service connections.
Luzon said the water district was facing a critical supply shortage caused by prolonged dry conditions, which reduced the yield of its water sources and caused water levels to drop.
He said rainfall recorded at the Mt. Magdiwata Watershed, the town’s main water source, had declined sharply during the first three weeks of July.
Rainfall was recorded at 7 millimeters during the first week, 3 millimeters in the second week and 2 millimeters in the third week.
“This is far below the average normal rainfall of 14 millimeters per day,” Luzon said in an interview.
On July 21, state-run PTV Agusan del Sur reported that residents and business owners were already experiencing serious inconvenience due to the inadequate water supply.
San Francisco experienced a similar water shortage in November 2024, when reduced rainfall lowered water levels at the Mt. Magdiwata Watershed.
During that period, residents lined up for water delivered by tanker trucks, underscoring the municipality’s vulnerability to prolonged dry weather.
To help augment the supply, the SFWD is constructing a new reservoir in Barangay Bitan-agan.
Luzon said the facility, which is expected to provide an additional 20 liters of water per second, was scheduled for completion by the end of September.
The water district has also provided special water deliveries to San Francisco Doctor’s Hospital and public schools in affected areas.
It has requested Mayor Grace Carmel Paredes-Bravo to authorize the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to deploy its water tanker and assist in the rationing operations.
Asked whether the situation could already be considered a water crisis, Luzon said the water-rationing program was being implemented as a mitigation measure under the district’s emergency response plan, regardless of whether the local disaster office would formally recommend a crisis declaration.
As part of its long-term response, the SFWD is also considering the purchase of a booster pump to be installed in Barangay Pisaan, an elevated area where households have experienced low water pressure and interrupted service.
Luzon said the proposed facility was intended to help restore round-the-clock water service in the barangay.
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