The Cebu plant of the Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc., the maker of the famous Coke, formally launched its own water source yesterday.
This means the company will have more reliable water supply as its demand for water increases every year.
Antonio Limjap, CCBPI-Cebu plant operations manager, said they have signed a contract with Pilipinas Water Resources Inc. for the supply of 1,800 to 2,000 cubic meters of water a day, the company’s daily water consumption.
He explained that their company has water requirement of 90 to 110 cubic meters an hour, which is being used in producing 65,000 to 70,000 of soft drink cases a day.
Limjap said they used to get their supply from San Miguel Corporation, which they share with the same compound in Tipolo, Mandaue City.
However, SMC’s contract with CCBPI for the water supply ended recently and was no longer renewed because CCBPI is already under a separate company.
SMC has sold its 65 percent interest in CCBPI to Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. for $590 million last year.
Limjap said Pilipinas Water has already started supplying water to them since Monday.
Romulo Senining Jr. of the PWRI said the water that they supply to CCBPI comes from their desalination plant in Guizo, Mandaue City.
He said that they are capable of supplying the entire water demand of CCBPI because their water treatment facility is designed to treat as much as 5,000 cubic meters of water a day.
Limjap said the water that the PWRI supplies to them has passed the Philippine standards for drinking water and is safe to use in making Coke, Sprite, Royal and other products that are produced in their Cebu plant.
Aside from PWRI, Limjap said they are also planning to get additional water supply from the Metro Cebu Water District.
Limjap said that since their production is increasing every year, they also expect their demand for water to go up, the reason why they need a backup water supply. — Wenna A. Berondo