NEDA lists investments to boost long-term water supply

MANILA, Philippines – The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is identifying investments that would address the long-term water security needs of Metro Manila by 2037 and beyond. 

NEDA’s Infrastructure Committee (Infracom) has subjected to value analysis and value engineering study this month the planned expansion of Metro Manila water sources to include at least eight new major water sources. 

As presented during the NEDA-Infracom meeting last Friday, the study identified eight major water sources for Metro Manila well as other means of increasing the water supply in the metropolis such as non-revenue water reduction and reuse of treated stormwater. 

Identified as main sources of water were:  the Angat-Umiray River Basin, Pampanga rivers, Agos rivers, Laguna Lake Basin, Marikina River, Cavite-Batangas Basin and Manila Bay. Also being looked at is the Kaliwa-Kanan river system in Quezon province. 

The Angat reservoir currently supplies 95 percent of Metro Manila’s water source. Other than proving deficient in long-term water supply, the dam is also now exposed to safety risks such as possible breakage and spillway overflow among others.  

“So if you talk about water security, that is too much dependence on one water source. So, MWSS should start woking on new water sources to meet the future demand,” said NEDA deputy director general for investment programming Rolando Tungpalan.

The value analysis and engineering study evaluated possible investments that would need to be carried out in the development of these new water sources based on technical considerations, cost, sustainability and implementability. 

Tungpalan said NEDA would now be conducting a value analysis and engineering study on potential projects before these are subjected to feasibility studies to have better understanding of benefits, risks and policy implications. 

“This is the approach we would like to take when it comes with major infrastructure like with water because this is a very real need with very real cost,” he said. 

The study identifies water security as satisfying the annual water demand plus a 15 percent buffer. Sources that can be immediately tapped are Manila Bay, Laguna Lake and the Kaliwa-Kanan river system. 

The MWSS currently manages a supply level of 4, 132 million liters per day (MLD) against the demand without provision for buffer of more than 3, 500 MLD and demand with provision for buffer of a little over 4,000 MLD. 

Supply deficiency is expected to become more pronounced in 2025 when supply of just a little under 4, 500  MLD meets demand without buffer of roughly the same level and demand with buffer rises to a little but under 5, 500 MLD. 

Public investments being considered under the study for new water sources include putting up desalination plants, rehabilitation of dams and auxilliary structures, and construction of distribution systems among others. 

The study recommended the immediate conduct of feasibility study and subsequent development of the Laguna Lake and Manila Bay as new water sources to add 200 MLD to 300 MLD to the supply from 2017 onwards. 

“This may be realized in the period of three to four years and will address the water demand in 2017 onwards till the long term water source from Kanan will be online,” stated the study.