- DCWD assures sufficient water despite El Niño risks
DAVAO City maintains a stable water supply to meet daily consumer demand despite the ongoing extreme heat and the threat of El Niño, the Davao City Water District (DCWD) confirmed on Wednesday.
Speaking at the Davao Peace and Security Press Corps briefing at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday, Sept. 9, DCWD spokesperson Jovanna Duhaylungsod said that while some surface water sources have experienced minor flow reductions, groundwater reserves can offset any deficit.
“Fortunately, here in our city, we can still say that we have enough water to cover our daily needs despite the severe heat,” Duhaylungsod said.
“Although there is a reduction in the flow of our surface water, it is not significant enough to cause service interruptions because we can immediately augment it using our groundwater sources.”
Production vs daily demand
According to DCWD data, Davao City’s current daily water demand ranges between 350 million and 400 million liters per day (MLD).
To meet this demand, the water utility currently absorbs approximately 300 MLD from surface water sources—primarily supplied through the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project operated in partnership with Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc.—backed by a groundwater capacity of 320 MLD to 350 MLD.
Duhaylungsod explained that the city’s deep-well groundwater reserves, tapped at depths of 200 to 250 meters below the surface, remain unaffected by immediate surface-level heat and dry spells.
“That is the advantage in Davao City—we are not solely reliant on surface water. We maintain deep groundwater reserves as a buffer,” she added. “While surface water levels fluctuate on an hourly or daily basis, they recover quickly and have not hit critical levels.”
She noted that while other local government units in the Philippines—such as Butuan City and Dinagat Islands—have reported potable water shortages or declared states of calamity due to dry weather, Davao City’s dual-source system insulates it from similar immediate crises.
Looking ahead to the anticipated peak impact of El Niño toward the end of the year, DCWD stated it has already coordinated contingency protocols alongside the Davao City Government and Apo Agua.
“Our preparation is not just triggered by specific phenomena like El Niño; climate-ready operations are integrated directly into our infrastructure design and daily operations,” Duhaylungsod said, adding that hourly monitoring across all production wells and surface intakes remains active.
