Last month, me and my fellow mommy bloggers had the opportunity to tour around our water reservoirs — Angat Dam and Ipo Dam. We were also invited to check out Maynilad’s Water Treatment Plants.

Here’s a brief info about Maynilad and details about our trip.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mommy Bloggers Philippines (@mommybloggersphilippines)

About Maynilad

Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) is the water and wastewater services provider for the West Zone of the Greater Metro Manila area. It is the largest water concessionaire in terms of customer base in the Philippines.

Areas under Maynilad’s Concession:

• Manila (all but portions of San Andres and Sta. Ana)
• Quezon City (west of San Juan River, West Avenue, EDSA, Congressional, Mindanao Avenue, the northern part starting from the Districts of Holy Spirit and Batasan Hills)
• Makati (west of South Super Highway)
• Caloocan
• Pasay
• Parañaque
• Las Pinas
• Muntinlupa
• Valenzuela
• Navotas
• Malabon
• Cavite City
• Bacoor, Cavite
• Imus, Cavite
• Kawit, Cavite
• Noveleta, Cavite
• Rosario, Cavite

Maynilad operates and maintains 4 water treatment plants, 22 wastewater treatment plants, 36 pumping stations, 32 reservoirs, 28 in-line boosters, and has laid 3,137 kilometers of water pipelines since 2007. Its customer base has expanded to 1,453,979 service connections or more than 9.7 million people.

Bitbit River

We passed by a nearby Bitbit River on our way to Angat Dam. The view of the mountains from the bridge was relaxing. It was my first time visiting the area and was so excited to see more.

Angat Dam

We arrived at the Angat Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan by 10 AM. The excellent quality of water coming from this vast reservoir makes it one of the best sources and the facilities surrounding it are all well-maintained. It was windy sa first stop namin — the hilltop viewdeck.

The Angat Dam is a multi-purpose dam managed by the Angat Hydropower Corporation (AHC), it is used for power generation, for irrigation through the National Irrigation Authority (NIA), and for domestic water supply through the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).

Ipo Dam

After our Angat Dam tour, we took a downhill route for Ipo Dam. Ipo Dam is much smaller than Angat.

As explained by Maynilad, raw water flows downward from Angat Dam to Ipo Dam, and eventually, to the Novaliches Portal. The water is then divided between the two private water concessionaires of the MWSS — Manila Water (East Zone) and Maynilad (West Zone). Moreover, when there’s an over-supply of water in Angat, that extra water goes to Ipo Dam.

Save the Sea Turtles Year 3 (Pawikan Conservation Center)

Maynilad Water Treatment Plants

We also visited Maynilad’s La Mesa Treatment Plants 1 and 2 in Greater Lagro, Quezon City. It turns raw water from Angat Dam into clean, reliable, and safe drinking water through a multi-stage treatment process:

• Screening: Raw water passes through screens to prevent the entry of foreign objects (grass, leaves, and other large floatables)
• Rapid Mixing: Chemicals are added to the raw water
• Flocculation: Process of particle removal (flocs)
• Sedimentation: Floc particles will settle to the bottom
• Filtration: Dual-media filters trap the flocs, allowing water to pass through
• Post treatment: Chlorine (and other substances) are added to disinfect water

After the water treatment process, the water flows through Maynilad’s network of pipes and facilities. Maynilad’s water is regularly tested to ensure that it meets the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water.

Why do we experience water service interruptions and will this ever end? 

We learned that about 91% of Maynilad’s raw water supply comes from Angat Dam and the remaining 9% supply comes from Laguna Lake. In June 2019, the water in Angat Dam plunged to below-critical levels that’s why the National Water Resources Board or NWRB (the government agency responsible for determining the allocation of raw water supply from Angat Dam for MWSS and NIA) reduced the water allocation for the concessionaires.

At present, although the water level in Angat is no longer in critical condition, NWRB is still implementing reduced raw water allocation for MWSS in preparation for summer. This is because the level in Angat is still lower than the targeted water level.

We experience daily rotational water service interruptions from time to time since 2019 because NWRB reduced the water allocated for Maynilad in an effort to preserve the remaining water in Angat Dam.

To simply put it, kailangan bawasan ng NWRB ang binibigay na supply ng tubig sa Maynilad at iba pang concessionaires para makasigurado na may tubig pa rin sa mga susunod pa na mga araw, buwan, at taon. At dahil kulang na ang ibinibigay sa Maynilad at iba pang water concessionaire, napipilitan ang mga ito na magpatupad ng water interruption.

Water service interruptions normally stop when the rains arrive, but it really depends on the water level of the reservoirs. Kung mababa ang water level, NWRB will retain reduced water allocation and the rotational water interruptions will still continue.

Maynilad Preparations for Summer 2020

Maynilad has been preparing for the summer months because historically, consumer demand for water increases during the dry season. Summer also means little to no rain, so technically, the NWRB might be forced to further reduce raw water allocations.

But Maynilad has already started implementing these 7 activities to lessen the reduced water allocation impact during summer 2020:

1. Optimizing its Pututan Water Treatment Plant  (PWTP 1). This facility draws water from Laguna Lake since 2010 and produces 150 million liters per day (MLD) of potable water. Kung kulang ang tubig from Angat and Ipo Dams, Maynilad has an alternative source.
2. Commissioning of PWTP 2 – Maynilad’s second treatment plant that draws more water from Laguna Lake. Established last Feb. 2019, it produces at least 150 MLD.
3. Reactivating Deep Wells. Existing deep wells has been reactivated using additional treatment technology to make more potable water. By April 2020, this will help add 52 MLD of water.
4. Sustaining reduction of water losses. Maynilad inherited one of the oldest pipe networks in Asia, and it invested millions to replace over 2,500 kilometers of old pipes and repair more than 360,000 pipe leaks since 2008. These efforts result in water supply recovery for their customers.
5. 5. Purchasing modular treatment plants that will tap rivers in Cavite. Maynilad found that the rivers in Cavite can add to their list of water sources. They’re currently exploring the deployment of modular water treatment plants that will extract raw water from Cavite rivers within the West Zone.
6. 6. Deploying mobile water tankers and stationary water tanks (SWT). As of today, Maynilad has a total of 69 mobile water tankers and 32 SWTs, which are being deployed to different areas within its West Zone concession.
7. Conducting cloud-seeding operations – Maynilad is currently working with MWSS, Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), and Philippine Air Force (PAF) on the guidelines and schedule of the cloud-seeding operations.

What can we do as Consumers to Help Conserve Water?

Since we are nearing the summer months, Maynilad is asking for our help to conserve water. We can do these in effective ways:

• Check for water leaks — pipes, faucets, toilet, hoses, sprinkler systems, etc. — and have these repaired ASAP. Because one drip every second adds up to five gallons of water per day!
• Avoid overwatering your plants.
• Recycle water. For one, consider the toilet-sink combo idea.
• Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run.
• Keeping your shower under 5 minutes will save you 1,000 gallons of water per month.
• Wash your pets in your garden area.
• Upgrade older toilets with new models that have water-saving technologies (dual flush, etc.), or drop a bottle of water inside to displace a certain amount of water needed to fill the tank.
• Remind kids not to waste water when playing, taking a bath, or drinking.
• Install gutters and downspouts and let the water directly flow to plants and trees.

Do you have any more suggestions on how to conserve water? Let me know in the comments below. 🙂

Maynilad Water

Website: http://www.mayniladwater.com.ph/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/maynilad-water-services-inc-/?viewAsMember=true

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4wv7l8rKwzDMvtNIzGRgQg

Twitter: https://twitter.com/maynilad

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MayniladWater/?ref=page_internal

Published: 2020-03-07 05:15:49