P500M project to boost MCWD’s operations

CEBU, Philippines - The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) will soon be putting up a system that can detect low pressure areas real time.

Ernesto Delco, MCWD assistant general manager for Operations, said the new system is one of the features of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition or SCADA.

Delco said the P500- million SCADA is a grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

MCWD’s counterpart in the project is a P50 million payment of Value Added Tax (VAT).

Delco said that through SCADA, MCWD can switch on/off its distribution lines, pumping stations or valves remotely.

“Sa pagkakaron kay kung naay mga leaking sa atong mga linya, i-manual man gyud na ang pag- off ana. Padad-an gyud na og personnel nga mupalong sa linya, but with SCADA, dili na kinahanglan adto-on (For now, if the line leaks, we would need to turn it off manually. We would need to send personnel to the field. With SCADA, there is no need to send men out),” Delco explained.

Immediate detection with the help of the system would enable MCWD to take immediately action to solve a problem, Delco added.

The technology can also detect the water level at the reservoirs immediately.

Representatives from JICA are expected to arrive in Cebu in March to finalize the terms of the project. Once the terms are finalized, implementation may start middle of this year and may be completed by 2015.

“Kani siya, para gyud ni sa among mga customers for better services (This is really for our customers; for us to give better services),” he said.

At present, MCWD has at least 150,000 consumers within its franchise area. — (FREEMAN)