P100B in water supply projects readied

Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Building

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) has lined up P100 billion  worth of major infrastructure projects this year in a bid to ensure water supply security for the country.

“Three big projects will undergo final feasibility studies and are expected to be rolled out by the second half of this year,” MWSS administrator Gerardo Esquivel said.

The MWSS disclosed its medium-term strategy called “Water Security Legacy Plan” during its 135th anniversary celebration yesterday.

The plan is highlighted by the proposal to construct a new water dam, which will serve as a “redundant water source” to Angat Dam. The project, estimated to cost $1.8 billion, calls for the building of a “Centennial Dam” at the Kaliwa-Kanan River Basin in Tanay, Rizal.

Esquivel said the dam could potentially supply Metro Manila with 1.9 billion liters a day.

“Metro Manila is 97-percent dependent on the Angat Dam for water supply. We want a security dam, which could be an alternative water source [for Metro Manila residents],” he said.

The MWSS official explained that the agency intended to design it as a multipurpose dam with hydro-power and flood-mitigating components.

“[There’s a] paradigm shift in water service delivery as it transforms MWSS’ mandate-driven initiatives from mere water distribution to a deliverer of lasting water supply security,” Esquivel said in a statement.

Also lined up this year is the Bulacan bulk water supply project, which will put up pipes on national roads in the whole province of Bulacan to supply water to its 22 water districts. The project is estimated to cost P15 billion.