Candon City--- The era of modern safe potable water supply finally came to this Ilocos Sur city and the two adjacent towns of Salcedo and Galimuyod with the inauguration of their first-ever waterworks system that was constructed with the financial and technical assistance of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) employing loan funds from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

Costing P148 million, the brand-new system was inaugurated last Friday, December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which also coincided with the 37th birthday of city Mayor Allen Singson. The younger Singson also presided over the ceremony with his mother, former Mayor Grace Singson and his father, House Deputy Speaker, Rep. Eric Singson , LWUA Trustee Aurora Raymundo L. Arnaez who represented LWUA Administrator Lorenzo H. Jamora and officials and staff of the Candon City Water District (CCWD) led by Chairman Dante Pacquing and General Manager David Gacusana.

The project which was also supported by Pl 7 million financial grant from the Candon City Government has the Buaya River in Salcedo as the main water source with transmission and distribution pipeline network traversing said town and Galimuyod all the way to Candon. Modern treatment plant was constructed at the source to purify and chlorinate the water drawn from the river prior to transmission and distribution to the water concessionaires aided by two booster pumping stations and two huge bolted steel water reservoirs. An estimated 2,000 households in Candon City and the two other towns stand to immediately benefit from the project although the new system is capable of serving more than 15,000 households up to the year 2010.

Rep. Singson, who is among the principal authors of the proposed amendments to Presidential Decree No. 198, the LWUA-Water District Charter, thanked LWUA for its assistance in realizing his long-time dream of developing a modern water supply system for Candon, an effort that was started way back in the late 80s but constrained by the lack of feasible water sources in this city. Singson also thanked the local government officials of Salcedo and Galimuyod for allowing the use of the river as water source and provision of necessary rights of way for the project.

Meanwhile, LWUA Trustee Arnaez extcrlted the Singsons and the local government units of Salcedo and Galimuyod saying that they are examples worth emulating by some LGUs , who instead of helping, oftentimes served as stumbling blocks in the implementation of development projects.

Noting that the project was funded largely by loan, the Singsons also called upon the residents to support the CCWD in attaining not only financial viability but also ensure the sustainability of water service in the long term. (See related story)
c December 12 , 2006