Maynilad mulls new water treatment plant

MANILA, Philippines — The delay in the construction of the Kaliwa Dam may prompt Maynilad Water Services Inc. to build a fourth water treatment plant in Putatan, Muntinlupa, its top official said.

“If that gets delayed, we need another Putatan plant,” Maynilad president and chief executive officer Ramoncito Fernandez told reporters.

The Kaliwa Dam is expected provide an additional 650 million liters per day (mld) of water supply for Metro Manila to augment the existing 4,000 mld from Angat Dam.

Fernandez said they were told by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewage System (MWSS) that Kaliwa Dam is targeted to be completed in 2023.

“We’re still believing it will happen in 2023. But we know that there are dark skies that can delay but let’s leave MWSS to deal with that. If they need our help, we will help,” he said.

Fernandez said Maynilad continues to review and monitor the pace of volume growth of demand, the pace of development in real estate and in the economy and will be ready to respond.

“If the signals are saying that we need to go on full blast, we will. We need to be proactive,” Fernandez said.

He, however, emphasized that putting up another plant is not contingent on the delay of Kaliwa, but rather on how fast the economy will demand additional water.

Meanwhile, Fernandez also disclosed that the company is on track with the construction of the third Putatan water treatment facility, which is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter this year.

Laguna Lake will be the source of the upcoming plant which will have a capacity of 150 mld.

Maynilad currently has two treatment facilities in one plant in Putatan, which were developed in two phases.

Based on earlier reports, the project cost is around P4 billion.

Maynilad is the water concessionaire of the west zone of Metro Manila.