SURIGAO CITY – Prolonged inadequate water supply from Surigao Metropolitan Water District (SMWD) has forced hundreds, if not thousands, of city residents to fetch water from neighboring barangays (villages) for their immediate consumption and daily use.

In some high ground areas in Barangay Washington, particularly along the Capitol stretch, Pag-asa Hills and Silay Hills, residents were fuming on the lack of water supply which ran for over two weeks already.

Also not spared from the water shortage was Barangay Taft, an urban village which has the biggest number in terms of population, where residents would berate SMWD personnel. The most affected areas were Espina Village and the hilly portion of Talipapa.

In low-lying urban villages such as Luna, Sabang, Rizal and San Juan – they suffered from low water supply.

Joel Tudtud, a resident of Payawan I, Barangay Luna, said they have to wait for 11 p.m. before they could start filling water on their containers because only at that time when water would start flowing from their faucet and would stop at around 5 or 6 a.m.

“This is an endless problem of our city. Every year, we face the same problem especially during the dry season,” Tudtod said.

On the other hand, Laurice Congreso of Espina Village, Barangay Taft, involuntarily found herself buying water at a costly price of P10 for every container with a capacity of 16 liters.

Her neighbors who ventured in fetching water from as far as Sitio Bioborjan in Barangay Rizal, approximately eight kilometers away from the city proper, found the same tedious and energy-sapping. (Mike U. Crismundo and PIA)