By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
QUEZON CITY – Manila Water has closed 2024 with notable completed projects, further improving the provision of water and wastewater services for its customers as it welcomes 2025 with a renewed commitment of quality service to its 7,760,095 customers.
As of October 2024, Manila Water is in service of a total of 7,760,095 customers.
“As the new year starts, we welcome 2025 with a renewed commitment of delivering the best quality of service we can give our customers. Rest assured we will continue to embark on investments that will further realize this, this year and for the next years to come,” Jeric Sevilla, Manila Water Communication Affairs Group Director, said on Monday (Jan. 6).
These capital expenditure projects address critical infrastructure for water security, environmental sustainability, service enhancement and upgrading especially in geographically challenged areas in Rizal province, and compliance with regulatory obligations.
2024 marked the start of operations of Phase 1 of the East Bay Water Supply System, which now serves customers in several municipalities in Rizal.
The 50-MLD facility is expected to provide potable water to 390,000 customers in Jala-jala, Pililla, Baras, Cardona, Morong, and Binangonan, with the completion of the two submarine pipes traversing Laguna Lake.
The process proving and final testing of the 80-MLD Calawis Water Treatment Plant (WTP) in Antipolo City was also completed, providing additional water supply to more than 900,000 customers in Antipolo City, Baras and Teresa.
While the Cardona Water Treatment Plant in Cardona, Rizal has undergone a maximization program that increased its conveyance to 110 MLD from its initial 50 MLD.
Likewise, Manila Water completed the construction of the 50-MLD Binangonan Pumping Station and 7-ML Reservoir in Barangay Mahabang Parang, Binangonan.
This project is one of the key components of the East Bay Phase 1 Water Supply System and will play a crucial role in storing and conveying treated water from the source water treatment plant to distribution areas from the Morong Pump Station through a submarine line.
On the other hand, Manila Water’s Antipolo Transmission Line Project involves the installation of a nine-kilometer 1,600-millimeter-diameter steel pipe along Roman-Rojas and NHA Road in Teresa, Rizal up to the Boso-Boso Reservoir in Sitio Boso-Boso in Antipolo City.
This project aims to provide additional and improved water service to more than one million customers in Antipolo City, Teresa, Baras, Taytay and Angono.
The water firm also embarked on the Antipolo Mainline Extension Project in Sitio Tanza and Tolosa Ville to expand its 24-hour water supply service to additional 24,000 customers in Antipolo City.
The project includes the installation of a 280-mm high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe spanning 2.73 kilometers, as well as a 100-mm HDPE pipe stretching 2.99-kms, interconnected to the 1,600-mm steel pipe along Marcos Highway.
The Darangan Bridge Pipelaying Project in Binangonan also improved water access for 20,000 households in Angono, Binangonan, Cainta, Taytay and Pasig City through the construction of an 800-mm steel pipe bridge spanning 26 linear meter along Manila East Service Road.
On wastewater management, the water company has taken on upgrades in East Avenue Sewage Treatment Plant’s (STP) Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) System, which involves the conversion of the plant’s existing Conventional Activated Sludge (CAS) process to Modified Ludzack-Ettinger (MLE) process, a more advanced treatment method that improves the removal of ammonia, nitrates, and phosphates from sewage.
At the same time, in support of the Philippine Clean Water Act, Manila Water launched two sewer line improvement projects in Quezon City: the 1.95-kilometer Kalayaan Sewer Replacement Package 2, and the 3.23-kilometer Kalayaan Sewer Replacement Package 3.
Both sewer line packages include the replacement of the old concrete pipes with new and more cost-effective PVC pipes, manhole installation, clean-out installation, transfer of service connection, and connection of unsewered households and establishments.
The Marikina North STP and Terminal Pumping Station (TPS) also underwent major maintenance.
Among enhancements implemented are the installation of additional sewage submersible pumps, nominal diameter (DN) 400 and 500 pipes, and a full-bore electro-magnetic flowmeter, and the integration of new soft starters with the existing Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.
Set to complete in 2025 is the Phase 2 of the East Bay Water Supply System which includes the construction of a 200-MLD water treatment plant.
The East Bay Phase 2 WTP is a critical component of the East Bay Water Supply System, which is expected to serve a population of approximately 2.08 million people in Metro Manila and Rizal.
The Kaysakat WTP Project is already 48% completed as of December 2024 and is set to be finished in January 2026.
It will add 220 MLD potable water supply that will benefit more than one million residents residing in Antipolo City, Teresa, and Baras.
A new sewage treatment plant, the 60-MLD Aglipay STP project is expected to benefit over 652,000 residents in the catchment area in Mandaluyong City.
The project is anticipated to be fully operational by 2025, bringing much-needed improvement on water quality in local rivers, reduced pollution and enhanced public health of the residents in the cities of Mandaluyong, San Juan and Quezon.
Expected to be completed by September 2025, the Pinugay Septage Treatment Plant (SpTP) is set to rise in Barangay San Jose, Antipolo City.
With a capacity of treating 50 cubic meters of wastewater, the facility is projected to provide sanitation services to 150,000 residents of Baras, Teresa, Cardona, Jala-jala, and Morong.
