Maynilad fast-tracks P 7.9-B La Mesa rehab project

Maynilad Water Services Inc. is revving up the deployment of workers at La Mesa to fast-track the P7.9-billion rehabilitation of raw water treatment plants, thanks to the easing of quarantine restrictions.

Maynilad said in a statement it had deployed at least 400 workers to Treatment Plants 1 and 2 in Quezon City.

The concessionaire for Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System’s west zone business area said returning workers passed antibody screening tests prior to redeployment. They are also now required to follow stricter safety protocols against new coronavirus infection.

“Completion of this project is essential to ensuring water service reliability for our customers, given the challenges posed by increasingly variable raw water quality from Angat Dam,” Maynilad chief operating officer Randolph Estrellado said.

Started in 2017 and intended for completion within this year even before the pandemic, the rehabilitation is being done in phases so that the facilities can operate without interrupting water services for Maynilad customers.

The upgrade involves increasing the plants’ capacity to treat higher raw water turbidity, retrofitting of structures for improved earthquake resiliency and automating processes.

The facilities produce 2,400 million liters of potable water daily, serving about 90 percent of Maynilad’s 9.7 million customers.

Aside from the upgrade of existing treatment facilities, Maynilad’s road map toward addressing water security challenges include the construction of new treatment facilities, pumping stations and reservoirs; sustained network enhancements through pipe replacements and leak repairs; and development of smaller alternative raw water sources to accommodate a growing population. INQ