East Zone concessionaire Manila Water has assured the public that there will be adequate supply to meet the water requirements as schools are slated to reopen on August 22. Despite the pandemic and the scorching heat this summer, Manila Water continues to provide 24/7 safe and reliable supply to more than 7 million customers in its concession area in Eastern Metro Manila and Rizal Province.

Supply augmentation projects completed

For the past two years since the pandemic swept the country, Manila Water continued to implement projects that would augment water supply in case the level of Angat Dam continues to fall below the minimum operating level. The Cardona Water Treatment Plant, which takes in water from the central portion of Laguna Lake, has been completed and can provide an additional 100 million liters per day (MLD) particularly to the towns of Rizal. An additional 20 MLD can also be sourced from Marikina River as the Marikina Portable Water Treatment Plant has recently been completed. Tapping groundwater via deep wells remains to be a viable alternative to augment supply with more than 60 deep wells ready to be operated in different parts of East Zone and Rizal which will produce a capacity of 100 MLD. Emergency reservoirs were also constructed in various schools and are ready to be commissioned in times of emergencies.

Technical assistance for schools

With more than 1,300 schools within its service areas, Manila Water also began assisting maintenance officials of the different schools in the checking of rest rooms, faucets, and handwashing areas to ensure adequate supply and good quality of water for the use of students, school officials and faculty. Manila Water engineers are also checking the condition of the schools’ water meters and at the same time conducting pressure tests to ensure that water is not only available but with sufficient pressure. Manila Water Corporate Communications Head Dittie Galang shares that regular sampling and water potability testing are also conducted to make sure that the quality of water passes the stringent requirements of the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water of the Department of Health. “It has always been Manila Water’s commitment to ensure that vital institutions, such as schools, are provided with ample safe water supply and effective wastewater and sanitation services all year round. Coming from two years of online classes, we took the initiative, ahead of any government program, to do a more extensive assessment of the water supply and wastewater management situation in schools in the East Zone,” added Galang. 

Ensuring road safety for students

As Manila Water continues to implement pipelaying and pipe replacement activities within its service areas, it works with the various barangays and local government units to ascertain that work sites and project areas, especially those located near schools, are properly barricaded, boarded up and safety signs are installed to prevent any accidents.

Support to Brigada Eskwela

Ever since the government launched the Brigada Eskwela program in 2003, Manila Water has been an active supporter of the DepEd program, constructing drinking fountains and wash areas in coordination with the Manila Water Foundation besides lending volunteer support in the cleaning, painting and rehabilitation of school rooms of various schools.