SAN JOSE DEL MONTE CITY, Bulacan— About P14 billion may be needed to fully address the city’s chronic water supply problems, underscoring the scale of infrastructure investment required to deliver reliable service across the rapidly growing Bulacan city.
Metro Pacific Bulacan Water (MPBW) Chief Operating Officer Roldan Pineda said the interim water operator’s next priority is to restore pumping capacity and cut water losses after raising average daily production to 145.09 million liters per day (MLD) in September from 131.55 MLD in May.
The gains came during MPBW’s first 100 days as interim service provider, when it repaired 789 of 1,135 detected and verified pipeline leaks and worked to stabilize a system burdened by aging infrastructure and limited pumping capacity.
But Pineda said higher production must still translate into more water reaching households.
The estimated water requirements of San Jose del Monte City is around 200 million liters a day to serve its 800,000 residents.
When MPBW took over, only 11 of the city’s 34 pumping stations were operational. The company is assessing the facilities for rehabilitation or replacement, with some critical parts requiring imports.
MPBW is also targeting the city’s roughly 47 percent non-revenue water (NRW), meaning nearly half of water entering the network is lost through leaks or remains unaccounted for.
“Every leak repaired means more water that can potentially reach customers,” Pineda said.
The operator plans to intensify leak detection, calibrate flowmeters, and prioritize districts with the highest water losses.
Emergency water deliveries remain in place. MPBW has completed 6,833 tanker trips, distributing 44.505 million liters across 51 barangays. Three deep wells have also been reactivated, adding 1.5 MLD.
Two pipeline projects targeted for completion by December could provide further relief. The 3.4-kilometer Tanawin pipeline could add 15 MLD, while the one-kilometer Minuyan pipeline could provide another 10 MLD.
The projects are part of efforts to address immediate supply and pressure constraints while laying the groundwork for the estimated P14-billion investment needed to comprehensively rehabilitate the city’s water system.
