Maynilad allots P8B for La Mesa upgrade

MAYNILAD Water Services Inc. has earmarked P8 billion to upgrade its water treatment plants in La Mesa in Quezon City and prevent a repeat of a turbidity-caused supply lack in August.

Work is expected to be completed by 2020, said Jen Rufo, Maynilad’s head of corporate communications.

“We’re actually investing additional treatment technologies in our La Mesa treatment plants para assuming tumaas ulit ang turbidity to unprecedented high levels, kaya na naming

ma- treat iyon (if turbidity again increases … we can treat it) without having to reduce production,” Rufo said at the sidelines of a news forum.

High turbidity inolves increased sediment concentration in the water.

The La Mesa Treatment Plant 1 is a conventionaltype plant with a maximum design capacity of 1,500 million liters per day (MLD), while LMTP 2 is a pulsatortype plant with a capacity of 900 MLD.

Both are ISO 9001:2000-certified, meaning their water treatment process meets global standards.

Rufo said Maynilad would be installing lamella tube settlers that would allow the removal of sediments at a much faster pace.

“We’re changing that now so that both plants have the same technology,” she added.

In the last two months, Maynilad was forced to reduce water supply for its concession area because of high turbidity level at Ipo Dam, one of its two sources of raw water.

In August, about six million Maynilad customers had no water for several days because of the increased sedimentation stirred up by the southwest monsoon.

In September, some 800,000 customers were also left with little to no water supply due to the heavy rainfall caused by Typhoon Ompong (international name: Mangkhut).