Concessionaires Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Co. Inc. are conducting supply augmentation measures in preparation for El Niño weather disruptions.
Maynilad is implementing various supply augmentation projects that will produce around 163 million liters per day (MLD) of additional water from alternate sources within the year.
It said the efforts include the reactivation of 45 deep wells across its franchise area, the commissioning of two modular treatment plants in Cavite, the tapping of additional cross-border points with Manila Water, construction of an auxiliary filtration system at Putatan water treatment plant and the production of an initial 50 MLD from its new water treatment plant in Poblacion, Muntinlupa.
Maynilad said the additional supply generated from these projects will help improve supply reliability for some 700,000 customers in parts of Manila, Parañaque, Pasay, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas and Cavite.
“As these supply augmentation projects gradually come on stream over the course of the year, we should be able to generate more water supply for distribution to customers. This will cushion the impact of any supply constraints that may arise once the effects of El Niño are felt by the latter part of this year,” said Ramoncito Fernandez, Maynilad president and chief executive officer, in a statement.
According to Fernandez, the concession expects to recover more water for distribution through non-revenue water management programs that cover active leakage control, selective pipe replacements, and closure of illegal connections, among other activities.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customers as it covers the cities of Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon as well as the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus plus the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario that are all in Cavite Province.
Manila Water said it has put in place its water supply contingency and augmentation plans that include optimizing the 100 MLD capacity of the Cardona Water Treatment Plant in Laguna Lake; operation of standby deep wells which can provide an additional 115 MLD; and operation of the 15 to 20 MLD Marikina portable water treatment plant which will draw and treat water from the Marikina River.
Jocot de Dios, Manila Water president and chief executive officer, said they continue to support and work with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for the development and implementation of short- to long-term projects ensuring the sustainability of future water supply that include the Calawis Antipolo water source system and the East Bay water supply project which will source water from the eastern flank of Laguna Lake.
Other projects aside from harnessing Laguna Lake being eyed by Manila Water as medium- to long-term water sources include the New Wawa Dam project in Rizal Province and the Kaliwa Dam project and the Kaliwa River project which will harness water from the Kaliwa River downstream of Quezon Province.
Its construction of a new 15-kilometers aqueduct and 6.4- kilometer tunnel will ensure 1,600 MLD flowing towards the La Mesa Dam and optimize the flow of excess water from Ipo to the La Mesa Dam.
Manila Water serves customers in Makati, Pasig, Pateros, Marikina, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Taguig, some parts of Quezon City and Manila; and several towns in Rizal province that include Taytay, Teresa, Angono, Antipolo, Baras, Binangonan, Cainta, San Mateo and Rodriguez.
