Manila Water Company: Manila Water fetes MMDA chairman, LGU engineering heads

Manila Water fetes MMDA chairman, LGU engineering heads

Posted: Thursday August 23, 2007

Manila Water pays tribute to a decade of successful public private sector partnership by honoring the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Engineering Offices of the different local government units (LGUs) as vital partners in ensuring the speedy delivery of the basic water service to every household within the East Concession area.

Photo shows the heads of the different city and municipal engineering offices during a recent visit to the Balara Filtration Plant. Photo inset shows MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando (3rd from left) receiving an appreciation token from Manila Water officials.

The honorees, led by MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando and the city and municipal engineers of Metro Manila and several towns of Rizal Province, were cited for their unrelenting support in making sure that the various water and wastewater projects of the MWSS East Zone concessionaire are implemented within standards of time and quality. Annually, Manila Water has earmarked nearly 5 billion pesos for its capital investment program which include the laying of new lines and rehabilitation of old ones and the construction of various wastewater infrastructure and water reservoirs to further enhance service to the more than 5.1 million people in the eastern section of Metro Manila.

Manila Water President Antonino T. Aquino and the other group directors of the water firm awarded plaques of recognition to MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando and heads of the different city / municipal engineering offices. The honorees went to a tour of the various facilities of Manila Water which included the Balara Filtration Plant No. 2 where they were shown how the treatment process of converting raw water into drinkable water, the University of the Philippines Sewage Treatment Plant where they were given a briefing on the recent methods of wastewater treatment and the Central Laboratory where they were shown actual physical-chemical and bacteriological testing of water samples. Three recently-completed state-of-the-art pumping stations bringing water to the highlands of Antipolo were also visited. These include the Kingsville, Siruna and Lucban stations, which are part of the mammoth P2.4 billion Antipolo Water Supply Project.

Chairman Fernando has also called on Manila Water to continue implementing more wastewater projects to protect the river systems, particularly that of the Marikina River, which has been an advocacy of Chairman Fernando since he was still mayor of Marikina.

Manila Water, through its President Antonino T. Aquino, has responded to the call of the MMDA chairman saying that the company has been implementing the Manila Third Sewerage Program (PTSP) under a US$64 million loan from the World Bank. Two septage treatment plants have been finished and are now in operation, the FTI and the San Mateo plants, and a third one in Antipolo is under construction. Manila Water will be partnering with the various local governments namely Marikina, Pasig, Taguig, Makati, among others, for a combined storm drainage and sewage treatment. This will ensure that wastewater will be treated prior to its discharge in river ways and other water bodies.