MWSS plans to implement P12 billion new water source project

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) plans to implement the P12 billion Kanan-Agos project, which was proposed by a private company to provide an alternative water source for Metro Manila and nearby areas.

“The unsolicited proposal is still under review by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), so we’re still waiting for its approval before we implement the project,” MWSS division manager Patrick Dizon said.

He declined to identify the project proponent, but said it is a local company.

Dizon said MWSS and the project proponent have completed the submissions required by NEDA as the proposal was submitted way back in 2019.

“In the last quarter of this year, we have submitted the additional requirements to NEDA. We’re just waiting for the approval. We keep on following up with NEDA,” he said.

The Kanan-Agos project will augment the long-term water supply of MWSS from the Kaliwa Dam project, which is still under construction.

The new project, with an estimated cost of P12 billion, will have two phases of 800 million liters per day (MLD) and 3,000 MLD for a total capacity of 3,800 MLD.

The massive project will tap the Kanan River to provide water security, reliability and additional supply for Metro Manila and nearby provinces, Dizon said.

The Kanan River forms part of the Kaliwa-Kanan-Agos River Basin in Quezon province.

“These water sources will be shared by Maynilad (Water Services Inc.) and Manila Water (Co. Inc.), so around 17 million customers will benefit from this project,” Dizon said.

If completed, the project will lessen MWSS’ sourcing from Angat Dam, which is a multipurpose dam serving water supply and irrigation needs in Luzon.

Angat Dam supplies more than 90 percent of Metro Manila’s potable water needs and provides for the irrigation needs of 25,000 hectares of farmlands in Bulacan and Pampanga.

“We want to have an additional source so we won’t just rely on Angat Dam, because the dam is a multipurpose dam, it is being used by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and MWSS,” Dizon said.

“We want to have our main source of water. Even if we don’t request a raw water allocation of 52 cubic meters per second (CMS) higher, we can still supply water to consumers,” the MWSS official said.

The MWSS is seeking raw water allocation from the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).

The NWRB recently approved an allocation of 52 cubic meters per second (CMS) from June 1 to 15, and 50 CMS from June 16 to 30 from Angat Dam.

Unless the MWSS and Maynilad successfully implement mitigating measures, consumers in the west zone may face water interruptions due to the lower allocation starting June 16.

However, implementing the Kanan-Agos project would take years after getting approval due to securing of permits.

“For Kaliwa Dam, it took us a long time before we started implementing the project. There’s the challenge in permits, particularly from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). We reached around seven years before we secured that permit,” Dizon said.

The MWSS is targeting to deliver the Kaliwa Dam project by end-2026. Currently, the overall project is now 22 percent completed.

The P12.2-billion Kaliwa Dam project was originally scheduled for completion five years from 2019 or in November last year.

The delay was due to restrictions brought by the pandemic, which further lengthened the years-long negotiations with the Dumagats for a FPIC, a requirement under the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997.