MWSS taps Korean city for water technology

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) is collaborating  with South Korea’s third largest city, Daegu, for an advanced water and wastewater technology in line with  efforts to improve overall water management system in the Philippines.

MWSS has inked a memorandum of understanding with the Daegu Metropolitan City for a government-to-government cooperation support for advanced water technology demand area.

It will also cover the improvement of inefficient operation of water purification and sewage treatment plant, improper sewage discharge system improvement, and the installation of a water purification system.

MWSS administrator Reynaldo Velasco and Daegu City mayor Young Jin Kwon both called for mutual cooperation to meet head on challenges and opportunities that threaten the water supply system in the two metropolitan cities.

“With the MOU with Daegu City, MWSS can now tap Daegu Environmental Corp. to help and serve as third party consultant in assessing the overall sewerage and wastewater management system in Metro Manila which still stands at 14 percent,” Velasco said.

The MOU, which will be renewed annually, calls for the development of technical solutions to address water resources-related challenges, development of the water industries in MWSS service areas as well as in Daegu, and strengthening of cooperation among water institutions in cities and municipalities.

It also aims to demonstrate leadership for water-centered urban development and strengthen cooperation networks between water-related businesses, universities, research institutes and water industry cluster-related organizations.

Both parties agreed to select, develop and implement regular cooperation programs for mutual exchange of information, policies and strategies necessary for water industry development.

MWSS and Daegu also target to strengthen information exchange and network to cope with global water problems by developing integrated water resources management and pioneering new markets and sharing strategic technologies.

Daegu already has a project ion project on the water industry sector with China that includes a sewage treatment cooperation.

Daegu’s water industry cluster has a water industry promotion facility with a water convergence research center, water campus,  global business center, and a water-industrial demonstration complex.