MWSS, water firms updating supply masterplan
METRO Manila’s two water concessionaires are sitting down with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to update the city’s water supply masterplan to map possible future sources.
“We’re doing that right now,” said Ferdinand M. Dela Cruz, Manila Water Co., Inc. president and chief executive off icer.
“They (MWSS) have agreed to form a TWG (technical working group) not only with us but also with Maynilad ( Water Services, Inc.) to update the Metro Manila water supply masterplan. That is really the action that will avoid any water shortage in the future,” he said in an interview.
Manila Water and Maynilad are contractors of MWSS, respectively holding water concessions for the east and west zones of the country’s capital.
Mr. Dela Cruz said the updated masterplan should include details on the Kaliwa dam project and the construction of Manila Water’s new water sources from the Laguna Lake.
The P18.7-billion dam — or the New Centennial Water SourceKaliwa Dam Project — aims to increase Metro Manila’s raw water supply to meet future potable water demand. It will serve as a redundant water source, thus reducing the city’s dependence on the Angat dam reservoir.
From a public-private partnership in the past administration, it has shifted to a project to be funded through off icial development assistance from China under the Duterte presidency. The Department of Finance previously placed the foreign funding at P10.9 billion.
The Kaliwa dam is expected to deliver 600 million liters per day (MLD), adding to the existing supply of 4,132 MLD and enough to meet a demand of a little less than 4,000 by 2020.
“MWSS is also planning to start the process for Laiban (dam),” Mr. Dela Cruz said.
Laiban dam is a proposed bulk water supply project that previous administrations aimed to build at Barangay Laiban in Tanay, Rizal. It will be on the upper portion of the Kaliwa River watershed, and is also planned to relieve Metro Manila’s overdependence on the water from Angat dam.
MWSS Administrator Reynaldo V. Velasco has estimated that Laiban dam will bring in an additional supply of about 1,800 MLD.
“Kaliwa is in the process, but you have to plan ahead. It takes about at least five years to build the dam,” Mr. Dela Cruz said.
“In that five years, it’s possible to breach (available supply), especially during summer,” he said. “It’s the summer that you want to watch.”
Manila Water is building its own water source on the Cardona side of the Laguna de Bay. The source will be online beginning in the first quarter of 2018, he said.
“When it’s fully finished it will be 100 MLD. That’s enough for us, for a while, and then we’re also building other sources in other parts of Laguna,” he added. “We are looking at as much as 350 (MLD),”
Manila Water provides water and used water services to Mandaluyong, Pasig, San Juan, Marikina, Pateros, Taguig, Makati, southeastern Quezon City and San Andres and Sta. Ana in Manila. It also serves several towns in Rizal province, including San Mateo, Rodriguez, Antipolo, Cainta, Taytay, Angono, Binangonan, Baras and Jalajala. —