Manila Water gets ready for El Niño

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Water Co. Inc. is looking to boost its backwash recovery system to improve water supply in the coming months in preparation for the upcoming El Niño.

The East Zone concessionaire said improvements to its backwash recovery program can generate up to 46 million liters per day (MLD) in additional water supply from its treatment facilities.

The company added that recovered volumes are enough to service more than 200,000 customers per day, allowing for a supply buffer during high demand periods and strained water resources.

Manila Water’s backwash recovery systems at the East La Mesa and Balara Treatment Plants can recover up to 40 MLD of water, which would otherwise be lost during routine filter cleaning operations.

Its other recovery system at the Cardona Treatment Plant in Rizal can cycle up to six MLD back into the treatment process, improving plant efficiency and maximizing the use of available resources from the middle portion of Laguna Lake.

Backwashing is a standard process during water treatment, where air and water are flushed into filter beds to remove accumulated sediments.

The company noted that instead of discharging backwashed water, the recovery system allows used water to be reclaimed and rerouted back into the treatment plant as additional raw water.

“Through innovations such as backwash recovery and the development of additional water sources, Manila Water is maximizing available resources and strengthening the resilience of our water supply system to better serve our customers,” Manila Water corporate communications head Dittie Galang said.

Manila Water noted that backwash recovery lessens its dependence on Angat Dam and improves the company’s water supply system against the potential impact of climate related events and rising water demands.