THE Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) on Monday announced the construction of dams and other possible sources of water as long-term solutions to the water crisis in Metro Manila and nearby areas.
MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco announced this as two committees of the House of Representatives opened an inquiry amid the water shortage in Metro Manila and nearby areas since March 6.
According to Velasco, the Manila Water will sign a joint venture agreement with ports tycoon Enrique K. Razon Jr. for the construction of a new dam, saying this will have a capacity of 500 million liters per day (MLD).
Besides Razon, Velasco said the joint venture will include San Lorenzo Ruiz Water Development Corp. of businessman Oscar Violago.
“On the possible new water sources, I think by tomorrow or next year, Manila Water will be signing a joint venture with San Lorenzo under Mr. Violago, now jointly by Mr. Razon, to put up a 500 million liters per day dam,” Velasco said.
“This is actually not a rehabilitation of Wawa Dam because I [told] them that they should construct a new one because Wawa Dam is already very, very old,” he added.
Kaliwa Dam, too
Also part of long-term solutions, Velasco said, is the construction of the Chinese-funded 600-MLD Kaliwa Dam.
“We’re starting the 600-MLD Kaliwa Dam which is now bidded
and being funded by China through ODA [Official Development
Assistance]. The project is now waiting for engineering design, hopefully it
will start in August. This is supposed to be four to five years, but we’re
asking the Chinese contractors if they can shorten it to three years,” he
added.
However, Velasco said the MWSS is now reviewing the construction of the 1,800-MLD Laiban/Kanan Dam due to the big number of informal settlers in the area.
“The Laiban/Kanan Dam is now being reviewed due to the impact on 4,800 informal settlers. Therefore, we are taking a second look,” he added.
Velasco said the MWSS is now also looking at other possible new sources of water: the 500-MLD Rehabilitation of Wawa Dam; 800-MLD Unutilized Water project from Angat-Norzagaray; 350-MLD Bayabas Dam, 188-MLD Sumag River Diversion Project.
Velasco also disclosed plans to build tunnels and aqueducts from Ipo Dam to Bigte Norzagaray and from Bigte to La Mesa Dam.
Short-term solutions
Velasco, meanwhile, said MWSS’s short-term solutions include Maynilad’s transfer of 10 MLD of its water allocation to Manila Water at the La Mesa Portal; energization of 100-MLD Cardona Rizal Water Treatment Plant; cross-border gate valve opening, which has a total of 50 MLD treated water from Maynilad, reactivation of standby 101 deep wells with approximately 100 MLD and deployment of mobile water tankers.
Velasco said the MWSS needs to serve 18 million people—much higher than the 10 million when the water service was privatized in 1997.
No power
Meanwhile, MWSS Chief Regulator Patrick Lester Ty admitted that the MWSS Regulatory Office has no power to penalize Manila Water following the water shortage in the east-zone concession.
Under the agreement, Ty said Manila Water should provide uninterrupted water services to consumers 24/7. “Based on the terms of the concessionaire’s agreement, Manila Water has violated their mandate to provide 24/7 water to their customer,” he said.
Ty said the MWSS has already sent notices and reminders to Manila Water following the water shortage in the past days.
For his part, Manila Water President and CEO Ferdinand de la Cruz said, “I think we cannot deny the breach in the 24/7 service because the people feel it. There is a prescribed penalty for it.”
He added, “I am taking full responsibility for what has happened, and wherever that leads me to, I will take accountability for that action.”
De la Cruz said he is willing to resign for “failing” their customers.
While Manila Water has already restored 80 percent of the east zone, de la Cruz said the normal water services will be back to normal by end of May.
Penalties
For her part, Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said the House is now studying amending the concession law to add penalty provisions against water firms.
“I think it was very clear, now the congressmen will bring out whether they are satisfied if the law is enough. What Rep. Castelo was whispering to me is perhaps in the law, we have to add a penalty provision for those who failed to comply with some parts of the concession agreement,” Arroyo said.
“He [Castelo] says that that seems to be what’s missing in the law. So that is not an issue with the presentation, that’s an issue of the deficiency in the law,” she added.
However, House Committee on Housing and Urban Development Chairman Alfredo Benitez of Negros Occidental said there is a penalty provision in concession agreement.
According to Benitez, Manila Water should properly compensate its customers in the amount that he estimated could reach P2.5 billion. If it will not compensate its consumers, Benitez said he will recommend the filing of a class suit against Manila Water.
The lawmaker, citing the agreement, said failure by the concessionaire to meet any service obligation, which continues for more than 60 days or 15 days after written notice thereof, shall constitute a basis for the regulatory office to assess financial penalties against the concessionaires.