Manila Water sets 5-year wastewater dev’t program

MANILA, Philippines – Ayala-led Manila Water Co. Inc. has lined up wastewater facilities covering the environs of the Pasig, Marikina and San Juan rivers among its projects for implementation in its next five-year business cycle.

In an interview at the sidelines of the inauguration of the P5.3 billion aqueduct improvement project of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), Manila Water group director for operations Geodino Carpio said projects covered by the new business plan include the construction of wastewater plants in these areas.

“We are going to look into wastewater plants that will cover three rivers: Pasig River, Marikina River, and also San Juan River. These three rivers are biologically dense because of pollution, 60 percent of which come from domestic waste. So what we are tasked to do is to intercept all that domestic water, treat them, before it hits the rivers,” he said.

He said Manila Water has ongoing wastewater projects in Marikina and at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City.

Manila Water has submitted to the MWSS its new business plan for 2013 to 2017. Its current rate rebasing period ends this year. Manila Water is awating approval from the MWSS of its planned annual expenditure for its next business cycle.

If approved by the MWSS, Manila Water is expected to have new tariff rates by January. Discussions between the water firm and the regulatory body are expected to take place in the next two months.

Manila Water provides water and wastewater services to the following areas: Mandaluyong, Pasig, San Juan, Marikina, Pateros, Taguig, Makati, southeastern part of Quezon City, San Andres and Sta. Ana in Manila, as well as several towns of Rizal province including San Mateo, Rodriguez, Antipolo, Cainta, Angono, Baras, Binangonan and Jalajala.

Every five years, water concessionaires in Metro Manila file their business plans for approval of the MWSS. These plans contain the tariff rates imposed on customers as well as service and investment commitments.

The MWSS inaugurated yesterday at the La Mesa dam compound in Quezon City the second phase of the Angat Water Utilization and Aqueduct Improvement Project (AWUAIP).

The P5.3 billion aqueduct improvement project involves the construction of an additional 9.9 kilometers (km) of aqueduct 6; the rehabilitation of the deteriorated 5.5 km segment of aqueduct 5; and interconnection facilities that would ensure the safety of raw water that flows from Angat Dam to La Mesa Dam to the treatment plants in Balara, Quezon City.

MWSS said this would create greater water security for its service areas that are now managed by its two concessionaires Manila Water Company , Inc. for the East Zone and Maynilad Water Services , Inc. for the West Zone.

The project was funded through the Preferential Buyer’s Credit of China Export-Import Bank. It was implemented in coordination with Manila Water and Maynilad. Prior to the rehabilitation of the Aqueduct 5, it was losing an estimated 394 million liters of water per day.

“We are very pleased that the project was completed eight months ahead of schedule from the original completion date of May 2013 largely through efficient contract management and improved construction methodology,” said MWSS administrator Gerardo Esquivel. -Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star)