Manila Water sustains 24/7 water supply through contingency, augmentation projects

Manila Water customers in the East Zone of Metro Manila continue to enjoy 24/7 clean and potable water, which is made possible with the company heavily investing in service improvement projects and implementing mitigating measures.

MANILA, Philippines — As the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) officially announced the beginning of summer, Manila Water assures its 7.4 million customers in the East Zone of Metro Manila and Rizal of a sustained 24/7 water service even throughout the Holy Week.

In conjunction with the rollout of the P181-billion Service Improvement Plan being implemented this year until 2027, the water company is simultaneously executing contingency and augmentation projects to secure uninterrupted water service to its growing customer base.

Additional sources and operational adjustments

In the months leading to summer, Manila Water has implemented measures to anticipate the spike in demand for water from customers. As an alternative source to Angat Dam, the company’s Cardona Treatment Plant in Rizal, which draws water from Laguna Lake, is currently maximizing its operations to accommodate treatment of up to 110 million liters per day (MLD), supplying clean and potable water to several towns in Rizal.

The company also tapped other auxiliary sources, such as the Marikina River through the 15 to 20-MLD Marikina Water Portable Treatment Plant and the 20-MLD Wawa-Calawis Water Supply System in Antipolo. At Laguna Lake, the East Bay Water Supply System Project Phase 1 is expected to contribute 50 MLD to the municipalities of Baras, Binangonan, Cardona, Jalajala, and Morong in Rizal.

In January this year, Manila Water inaugurated the Novaliches-Balara Aqueduct 4 in Quezon City (NBAQ 4), which will convey 1,000 million liters daily (MLD) from the La Mesa reservoir. This will allow for rehabilitating the three existing aqueducts, which may already incur raw water losses.

A backwash recovery program in the two water treatment plants in Balara, Quezon City is being implemented. The process, which involves re-treating the water treatment byproduct, resulted in the plants treating an average of 24.7 MLD. This is a 13-MLD increase from last year’s 11.6MLD.

Deep wells are also ready to provide additional sources when needed. A maximum of 100 MLD from deep wells can be drawn from more than 50 deep wells already rehabilitated and constructed at various sites within the concession area.

Repair and Maintenance

In preparation for the dry months and El Niño, maintenance of mainlines and rehabilitation of aging primary lines were also ramped up to minimize water loss to leakages. While carrying out pipe repair and maintenance activities, the company ensures work efficiency to minimize disruption to their customers’ daily activities. Repairs are typically done from late evening to the wee hours of the morning.

The company has also aggressively cracked down on illegal connections, prone to breakages and contamination, endangering public health.

Manila Water customers in the East Zone of Metro Manila continue to enjoy 24/7 clean and potable water, which is made possible with the company heavily investing in service improvement projects (P181 billion) and implementing mitigating measures.

Manila Water is also relentlessly advocating for the responsible and wise use of water all year round to its customers by implementing information campaigns on social media and partnering with government and private organizations that support the cause.

In preparation for the prolonged holidays this Holy Week, Manila Water reminds its customers to check for leaks and, if possible, close their main gate valves before leaving their homes.

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Manila Water assures continuous water supply in East Zone during the summer months