New Tagaytay

The TCWD, a government-owned and controlled corporation in charge of water distribution, has felt the burn.

That's why it entered into a contract with a water company in 2012 to extract water from other parts of Cavite.

In the contract, TCWD admitted the city's "dire need of additional water resources" due to increasing urbanization.

"Water demand is expected to increase tremendously, even as high as double the normal demand, and upon completion and full operation of all the ongoing establishment and hotels currently being built," it said in the contract.

But after a petition by Cavite residents who claim the water project will deprive them of water, the Court of Appeals ordered the water project stopped until issues were resolved.

Cavite's 're-charge station'

Tagaytay City plays an important role in this water crisis. Though it may not be the most heavily water-consumptive of Cavite provinces, its path of development determines whether or not Cavite can survive its water woes.

The city makes up the province's upland area, an area that, due to its geographic location and elevation, functions as a re-charge station for Cavite's water supply.

"The monsoon winds bring rain clouds to Tagaytay. Because of the high elevation, the rainwater is able to flow down slowly, giving it time to infiltrate the ground and gather beneath as groundwater," said Sedigo.

Because groundwater comes in trickles, it took thousands of years for the aquifer below Cavite to form and become one of its major sources of water.

With Tagaytay now becoming more concretized, it may take even longer to replenish that aquifer, if at all. The city is developing fast at the cost of trees which help bring rainwater underground.

The more concretized Tagaytay becomes, the less water goes to Cavite's aquifer.

"If I had my way, I'd keep Tagaytay forested," said Sedigo.

Only around 7% of Cavite is forested. Almost half, 48%, is under concrete, while the rest is agricultural land.

But at the rate Tagaytay is going, Sedigo may be hoping in vain.

Since 2011, the city's number of commercial establishments has increased by an average of 33 establishments a year, said City Planning and Development Officer IV Carlos Zuniga.

Its number of residential units, mostly constructed in existing subdivisions, has been increasing by an average of 205 units a year. The past 4 years alone have seen the rise of 20 new condominiums of various heights (1 story to 11 stories), he added.

More worrisome is Tagaytay's expansion of areas for urbanization.

In 2009, the city amended its Zoning Ordinance to classify 4 areas as new Primary Urban Core (PUC) zones. These areas are where buildings of up to 20 stories high can be built.

Source