Seawater intrusion due to over-extraction of groundwater in Cebu remains a serious threat that needs to be solved, an expert said. Engineer Maria Nenita Jumao-as, a hydrologist and chief of the University of San Carlos–Water Resources Center (USC-WRC), said that over-pumping of groundwater within the Cebu mainland’s aquifer has worsened the intrusion of saltwater inland over the years. In her presentation at the Cebu Water Summit at the Bai Hotel Cebu in Mandaue City on Monday, March 27, Jumao-as said the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) has been reliant on extracting groundwater of around 235,000 cubic meters per day, while it extracts only 44,800 cubic meters of surface water per day.

Padronia, E. K. H. (2023, March 28). Hydrologist: Over-extraction of Cebu's groundwater leads to seawater intrusion. SunStar Cebu, p. 3.