MWSS set to award P24.4-B Bulacan water project

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) is set to award this week the contract for the P24.4 billion Bulacan Bulk Water Supply Project, a ranking official said over the weekend.

Nathaniel Santos, MWSS senior deputy and head of the bidding committee, said they are still evaluating the offers submitted by the three bidders and are hoping to issue the notice of award by Thursday.

“We have not yet awarded the contract as we are still reviewing the bids. By Thursday next week we may be able to do so,” said Santos.

The consortium of San Miguel Corp. and Korea Water Resources Corp. offered the lowest bulk water charge at P8.50 per cubic meter, beating the offers of P9.75 per cubic meter by Prime-Alloy Water Consortium and the P10.65 per cubic meter by the Team Polaris-Manila Water Consortium.

The bid parameter for the project is the lowest bulk water charge per cubic meter that Bulacan water districts would have to pay the private proponent.

Prime-Alloy Water Consortium comprises Prime Water Infrastructure Corp., MTD Capital BHD and Biwater International Ltd. while Team Polaris is made up of Manila Water Co. Inc., M.E Sicat Construction and J.H Patawaran Construction.

The winning bidder will finance the project and undertake the detailed design and construction. It will also maintain the conveyance facilities, treatment facilities and water source during a 32-year concession period.

The bulk water project will help 24 water districts in Bulacan meet the increasing water demand of their consumers and expand their service area coverage.

The Bulacan Bulk Water Supply Project is one of the two water projects rolled out by the MWSS under the public-private partnership scheme, the other being the P18.72 billion New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam project that has so far attracted six bidders.