THE whole of Dagupan City went waterless starting at past 9:00 p.m. on January 10 and was still without water till the following morning after an excavator broke a water transmission line of Pamana Water Corporation at past 10 a.m. that day while digging in the area for a new drainage system along M.H. Del Pilar Street.

The incident, which the contractor of the project, admitted was accidental, caused knee-deep flood in the whole M.H. Del Pilar Street, which spilled over to other adjacent streets, that resulted in a gridlock along M.H. Del Pilar Street, A.B. Fernandez Avenue and Perez Boulevard.

Motorists were in disbelief to find M.H. Del Pilar Street and other streets again submerged in knee-deep water since there was no typhoon and high tide that occurred at the time.

Initially rendered waterless by the incident were establishments and homes along M.H. Del Pilar Street, which include, the SM Center Dagupan, all those in the downtown area and nearby areas.

Pamana immediately mobilized its work force to conduct emergency replacement of the damaged water transmission line but was forced to temporary shut off water supply in the whole of Dagupan starting at past 9:00 p.m.

The incident happened despite earlier guidance from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to contractors to coordinate with the Dagupan LGU, Decorp, Pamana, PLDT and other public utilities before commencing digging activities.

This was the third incident of flooding caused by accidental breakage of a water transmission line of Pamana. The first happened sometime last November when a backhoe hit a water distribution line in front Jollibee junction and in front of Sunrise Subdivision. (Leonardo Micua)

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