Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Administrator Reynaldo V. Velasco cited Manila Water’s Tubig Para sa Barangay Program following the individualization project for the residents of Purok 7 in Lupang Arenda, Taytay, Rizal, that sees more than 450 households getting their water service and much better quality and much lower cost that what they are currently enjoying.
The TPSBP is comprised of the laying of 380 linear meters of water pipes plus clustered connections for the 450-plus households that will benefit a population of around 2,500. Aside from Velasco, the TPSBP grounbreaking was attended by Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco, Ayala Corp. chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Commission on Urban Poor chairman Terry Ridon, Manila Water president Ferdinand M. de la Cruz, MWSS RO chief Patrick Ty and Laguna Lake Development Authority general manager Joey Medina.
“Addressing the challenge of providing the same level of service, both in terms of availability and reliability, pressure and premium quality in unserved and undeserved communities while balancing business interests is no easy feat,” says MWSS Administrator Velasco.
“This will be a great contribution in upholding the dignity of life of every Filipino with 24/7 access to clean, clear and potable water,” says Manila Water president and CEO Ferdinand M. dela Cruz.
For the past 20 years since 1997, MWSS has been Manila Water’s more able partner and enabler. This successful Private-Public Partnership instituted by former President Fidel V. Ramos in 1997 paved the way for a private agency to take hold of the water system, thus giving birth to Manila Water.
“Successful PPP models are what this country needs to push for multi-sectoral cooperation towards aggressive and effective nation-building,” says Gen. Velasco. “We will continue to be a strong pillar of support and will always go beyond our duty to make sure that the fruits of this effective cooperation today will long be enjoyed by future generations.”
Velasco also cited the recent awarding by Manila Water for the construction management, detailed design review, and contract administration services contract to consulting firm Arup, and the design and build contract to the Novabala joint venture composed of CMC di Ravenna (Italy), First Balfour, Inc. (Philippines), and Chun Wo Engineering (Hongkong) for the Design and Construction of the Novaliches-Balara Aqueduct No. 4, one of the largest water supply infrastructure projects undertaken by Manila Water.
The NBAQ4 project entails the construction of a fourth aqueduct from the La Mesa Reservoir to the Balara Treatment Plants (BTP) 1 and 2 to improve the reliability and security of the raw water transmission system.
The three existing aqueducts, built in 1929, 1956 and 1968, respectively, are already nearing, if not already exceeding, the service life of 50 years for concrete structures and therefore are in need of assessment and rehabilitation. The existing aqueduct system continuously transmits 1,600 million liters per day (MLD) of raw water to BTP. The aqueducts need to be operational at all times and cannot be shut down to facilitate the required assessment and rehabilitation works.
The NBAQ4 project shall provide a new aqueduct to enable the sequential temporary service suspension of the existing aqueducts for inspection, assessment and subsequent rehabilitation. The 7.30-km long and 3.10-m diameter NBAQ4, which is one of the first Tunnel Boring Machine tunnels to be constructed in Metro Manila, is composed of a new intake facility at La Mesa, an underground aqueduct, and an outlet facility at BTP.
This fourth aqueduct will have a capacity of 1,000 MLD and will be constructed along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. Upon completion, the project will also provide emergency redundancy in the event of a failure in any of the existing aqueducts. This is also a part of our water security under the new administration where part of it is coming up with interim and long-term water source projects to approximate at least 4,000 million liters per day (MLD) in the next 10, 25 to 50 years, and it is also to beef up anti-terrorist and saboteur measures on major water installations and facilities.
The target completion for the NBAQ4 project is in 2021.
“Together with Manila Water and President and CEO Ferdinand dela Cruz, this Novaliches-Balara Aqueduct 4, our water services and water quality will improve greatly and dramatically in the next coming years so that more and more people – even those who come 50 or 100 years and more later – can benefit from this,” concludes Velasco.