METROPOLITAN Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Administrator Reynaldo V. Velasco recently led the inauguration of a P1.7-billion Jica-funded Parañaque Water Reclamation Facility.
The facility is the largest sewage treatment plant of Maynilad Water Services Inc. (Maynilad) in terms of processing capacity.
With the facility’s operation in full swing, the city government is assured of sufficient capacity for a 92-percent compliance rate in terms of its sewer connection.
Lauding the project’s completion Velasco said the Jica-funded project is a big boost to the ongoing Manila Bay cleanup effort of the government.
“We are happy with the completion of this modern water-reclamation facility three years after it was started. I commend both Maynilad and Parañaque City for remaining steadfast in pushing for this flagship project, despite protestations and brickbats from motorists, as this project is not only a means to comply with the Supreme Court mandamus to clean Manila Bay, but more so, for the overall benefit of the people,” Velasco said in a statement.
Velasco was guest of honor during the formal opening of the new STP facility in San Dionisio, Parañaque City, the other day with MWSS Chairman Franklin Demonteverde, MWSS RO Chief Patrick Ty, Parañaque City Mayor Edwin L. Olivarez, Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez, Jica official Yoshio Wada, Development Bank of the Philippines President and CEO Cecilia Borromeo, and other members of the MWSS Board of Trustees.
“The success story of the Maynilad Water Reclamation Facility completion and the 92-percent compliance rate of Parañaque City to sewer connectivity including its firm resolve to clear more than 5,000 out of the 8,000 informal settlers living along esteros and rivers in the city should now become the template for all other local government units covered by our concessionaires,” Velasco said. Parañaque City Mayor Olivarez said, “This is a very important step in our collective efforts to help you protect our environment, which is one of the pillars of governance agenda in the city to be business-friendly, and at the same time environment-friendly.”
Olivarez added the start of operations of the Parañaque Water Reclamation Facility is “timely” because of the renewed drive to fast-track the rehabilitation and cleanup of Manila Bay led by Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu. “With this water facility, we will now be able to remove pollutants from the wastewater being collected from Maynilad costumers in Parañaque before these are discharged to the waterways that eventually end up in Manila Bay,” Olivarez said.
Meanwhile, Maynilad recently announced the company would invest P26.4 billion in the next five years to build new sewage treatment plants (STPs) and lay sewer lines in Caloocan, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa and Kawit, Cavite.
The new facilities, which will have a combined treatment capacity of 320 million liters per day (MLD), will remove harmful substances from the wastewater generated by more than 2 million Maynilad customers, thus helping to reduce pollution loading into water bodies.
Of the P26.4-billion budget allocation, about P16.3 billion will be spent for laying some 241 kilometers of new sewer lines, which will convey wastewater from households to Maynilad’s new STPs for treatment.
Once completed in 2021, these new facilities will expand Maynilad’s sewerage coverage to 47 percent up from only 6 percent in 2006 before Maynilad was re-privatized. The company aims to attain 100-percent sewer coverage by the end of the concession period in 2037.
“So far, we have invested P23.3 billion to improve the wastewater infrastructure and expand coverage in the West Zone since 2007. By sustaining investments in wastewater projects, we do our part in the cleanup and rehabilitation of Manila Bay, per the Supreme Court mandamus,” Fernandez said.
The company is investing P11.4 billion for wastewater projects this year.
