Butuan City has officially entered a state of calamity following an intense dry spell that has severely disrupted the local water supply, impacting tens of thousands of households across the locality.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod passed Resolution No. 17-444-2026 on Saturday, September 5, in response to a drastic drop in water levels that left many communities experiencing low pressure or complete outages.
Data from a September 4 evaluation by the Butuan City Water District (BCWD) indicates that approximately 91,425 residents spread across 58 barangays are suffering from the deficit. The utility reported that daily output has fallen to a critical 37.36 million liters per day (MLD)—far short of the city’s standard daily demand of 55 MLD.
“The shortage is linked to the prevailing dry spell in the province of Agusan del Norte, including Butuan City, which has suffered a significant rainfall deficit,” the local council resolution noted.
The state weather bureau PAGASA previously designated Agusan del Norte under dry spell status on August 23 due to prolonged below-average rainfall.
Although the BCWD initiated localized water rationing through designated distribution centers, local officials acknowledged that the intervention remains inadequate to satisfy community demand.
The calamity declaration grants the city government and local barangay councils immediate access to quick response funds. These emergency resources will be deployed to expand relief efforts, scale up water distribution, and mitigate the ongoing crisis.