MWSS pushes Laiban dam to ensure Metro water supply

Newly installed Metro Manila Water and Sewerage System (MWSS) Administrator Rey Velasco has committed to start the Laiban Dam project during his term and push other projects such as the Sumag, Wawa rehabilation and a new intermediary dam between Ipo and Angat—all to beef up water supply for Metro Manila.

The proposed New Centennial Water Source Project (NCWSP), the integrated dam system consisting of the Kaliwa and Laiban dams, is expected to get funding of up to P10 billion from China as the Duterte administration gets the project moving after being suspended for years.

To be implemented by Department of Public Works and Highways (DWPH), NCWSP will involve the construction of the Laiban Dam at the Kaliwa River and the smaller Kaliwa Dam downstream to ensure long-term supply for Metro Manila and nearby areas.

Thus far, only the Kaliwa Dam project has been approved by National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and the MWSS has suggested to implement the Kaliwa and Laiban dams simultaneously. Kaliwa dam is expected to produce 600 million liters a day (MLD)

The project will cost P18.72 billion.

Another project being pushed by the MWSS is the Sumag River diversion project, which involves a diversion tunnel to supplement the water coming from Umiray River going to the Angat dam.

Putting up a new intermediary dam between Ipo and Angat dam is also needed to avoid flooding, assure farmers of water supply and to save enough water to be able to supply to the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) for irrigation purposes.

“Angat dam wouldn’t have problems unless subjected to extreme weather conditions like the El Niño and they are also strengthening it in preparation for the 7.2-magnitude earthquake projected to hit the region in the next years,” Velasco said during their “Annual Million Tree Project” launch yesterday.

The annual million tree project of MWSS and Maynilad, with its partner the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, is a five-year plan of protecting the environment, especially the watersheds, by reforestation.

The project so far has 717,500 committed trees and they are still reaching out to other organizations to be able to hit their total target of 1,042,500 trees every year.

“A technical working group that would monitor and secure the area together with the help of the community will be employed in order to secure it against kaingeros, informal settlers and illegal loggers,” Velasco said. —MA. CASELDA CRUZ