Restoring water in the areas affected by Typhoon ''Odette'' is almost complete, an official of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) official said on Sunday.

"Around 80 to 90 percent of the water lines affected by the typhoon were already fixed and are now operational," Task Force ''Odette'', Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) chairperson Abner Malabanan said in a radio interview on Sunday.

Malabanan explained that the major problem in the areas hit by Odette was caused by the interruption of power supply.

"Electricity is not yet fully restored so there is a scheduling in the use of water but as far as the water operation is concerned... even after the typhoon maybe only 20 percent were damaged," he said.

"The big problem there is the electricity, especially when they source the water from deep well where they will need the pumping station. There is a need for electricity to operate the pumping stations. If there is no electricity, there are generators but because it is being used often some got damaged," he added.

Malabanan said the remaining problem in water supply in the areas affected by ''Odette'' in Visayas and Mindanao will become "negligible" by February.

"Maybe by next month, the problem will be negligible, because immediately after the typhoon, the operation started and the big challenge there was caused by the power outage," he said.

As part of the government's effort to ensure water supply in case of disaster, Malabanan said the administrator of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council recommends buying mobile treatment equipment to standby in different regions.

"For now we only have two mobile water treatment equipment... This is why our administrator recommended a proactive measure, to standby around 18 mobile water treatment equipment in the regions, so that we will have something that we can use in case of calamity," he said.

"I received a letter from the NDRRMC to inform them that the government is already studying where they will get the funds that will be used to procure mobile treatment equipment for every region... A total of ₱225 million budget will be allocated," he added.

Malabanan also mentioned that the LWUA and DBP are preparing a lending assistance amounting to ₱45 billion to help water districts improve their facility and water lines. Robina Asido/DMS