KABANKALAN CITY WATER DISTRICT


Our Background


The Kabankalan Water District (KWD) was formed on April 23, 1977 by the virtue of Resolution No. 27, passed by the Local Sangguniang Bayan (Municipal Council) to cover the entire municipality of Kabankalan. The resolution was filed with LWUA on May 20, 1977. With its creation, the KWD took over the ownership and management of the waterworks system from the municipal government in accordance with the Presidential Decree no. 198 as amended, also known as the Provincial Water Utilities Act of 1973. The system facilities were officially turned over to the water district on November 1, 1977. On January 30, 1978, a Conditional Certificate of Conformance (CCC) was issued to KWD by LWUA.

The KWD is an autonomous Government Owned and Controlled Corporation which is politically independent from the local government. As constituted, the district is subject to the provisions of P.D. 198 and to the rules and regulation of LWUA. The KWD can promulgate its own operational laws through its five members of the Board, which in turn appoints a General Manager to manage the water district. The KWD was formed for the purpose of acquiring, improving, maintaining and operating the water supply system as well as any future wastewater collection and disposal facilities that the district may have to add to the system. To realize this objective, the KWD can avail of LWUA’s financial and technical assistance. Presidential Decree No. 198, however stipulates that water district should ultimately operate on a financially self sufficient basis.

Past, Present and Future Organization
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The Manager, Dennis G. Martir, utilized the two (2) wells located at the KWD office & Progresso pumping Stations. However, due to the usage over the period of time, the KWD office & the Progresso wells deteriorated. Since its formation, the Water District was beset with institutional problems which resulted in the intervention of the LWUA. The WD was placed under receivership in 1987 and again in 1993. In 1987, Engr. Loreto G. Limcolioc was assigned as the Interim Administrator of KWD, vice Dennis G. Martir, to oversee the operation of the WD with the local Board of Directors were retained as policy makers. Partial take-over was lifted in 1988 & Bernardo G. Cavile was assigned as Actg. General Manager. Sometime in 1989, Dennis G. Martir was reinstated as General Manager of KWD. The WD did not improve financially & began to accumulate arrears again so in 1993, LWUA again took-over the management of KWD upon the request of then Mayor Isidro P. Zayco. The management of KWD was composed of employees from LWUA who served as Interim Board of Directors & Interim General Manager in the person of Engr. Arturo C. Villaroman, Jr., with the vision of improving the quality of life of the people of Kabankalan City, the door opened for the services of the new Interim General Manager, whose leadership resulted to the increase of service connections, increase in revenues & drilling of additional well. Efforts had been made to improve the services of KWD, thus extending water supply 24 hrs. a day, standardization of the salary of employees & giving of fringe benefits. The promulgation of the Supreme Court decision dated March 12, 1992 declaring all water districts as Government Owned & Controlled Corporations, life in the district experienced a transition & adjusted its course according to government laws, such as the Civil Service Commission, Commission on Audit & the Government Service Insurance System.However, IGM Villaroman met local opposition & was replaced by another LWUA IGM Engr. Rei B. Bernardo in 1999 to ensure financial viability & carry out effective management of the WD. With an effort to gradually turn over the policy making of the WD, Mr. Aquiles M. Zayco, Jr. was installed as local Board of Director sometime on 1998 & was later designated as Interim General Manager sometime is September 2003. Mr. Zayco, made representation with the LGU to reach the far flung barangays for extension projects such as Sitios Comon, Catali & Ubay of Brgy. Daan Banua & Sitio Pacul of Brgy. Hilamonan.

In 2003, the LWUA turned over the policy making functions of the KWD to the local the Board of Directors. Thus, solicitation from different sectors were made to endorse their nominees to sit as Board of Director of KWD. The newly installed Board of Directors appointed Aquiles M. Zayco, in January 2004 as the General Manager. The realization of long awaited projects was fully implemented. Expansion projects were implemented, the drilling of the additional well & purchase of generator set are just among the many projects undertaken. The service area of Kabankalan Water District enjoyed an ample supply of water with a system pressure ranging from 10 to 28 psi during the rainy season & only 2 to 14 psi during the dry season. With its existing water sources, the Kabankalan Water District is in need of additional source to ensure a sufficient water supply. In addition, the identified well field of Kabankalan can still accommodate an additional two production wells with an estimated total rated capacity of 40 lps which can serve another 4,000 connections. Likewise, potential surface water sources like the Hilabangan River was tapped. In 2005, the construction of Filtration Gallery was made possible through a financial loan from Development Bank of the Philippines.Sometime in 2007, the LWUA thru Board of Trustees Resolution No. 186, s. 1997 approved the change of name of Kabankalan Water District (KWD) to Kabankalan City Water District (KCWD). In 2014, following the retirement of Aquiles M. Zayco, Jr., Engr. Ricardo M. Regalia, Jr. Was appointed as the new General Manager of KCWD. Under Engr. Ricardo M. Regalia’s leadership, Kabankalan City had high hopes for an improved and sufficient water supply. Recently, Engr. Regalia retired, and the Board of Directors initially appointed Ms. Mary Josephine R. Gacho as the Acting General Manager. And eventually installed her as the General Manager of KCWD as per KCWD Board Resolution 048 s.2024 to continue the initiatives that have been started and to further enhance the development plans.


TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION MAINS


There are approximately 8.09 kms. of transmission and 21.88 kms. of distributions main existing in the Kabankalan Water District. The transmission mains consist primary of 3.02 kms. of 75 mm cast iron pipe from the Basak Spring to the reservoir, 2.70 kms. of 125 mm cast iron pipe from the reservoir to the poblacion and from Filtration Gallery, 5.39 kms. of 150 mm uPVC pipe to the poblacion.

The distribution mains consist of 600 lineal meter of 125 mm and 4. 23 kms. of 100 cast iron pipe which are part of the original system. About 1.23 kms. of cast iron pipe were rehabilitate to 100 mm uPVC pipe as of 2012. In addition, the 3.4 kms. of asbestos cement pipe were also rehabilitated as of 2010. The 13 kms. uPVC Pipes 100 mm and 3.2 kms. uPVC Pipe 75 mm and 15 .5 kms. P. E. Pipe and uPVC Pipe 63 mm were installed lately 1994 to 2014.



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