Maynilad expanding Putatan capacity

MANILA, Philippines — West zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. is spending P580 million to expand the capacity of its Putatan water treatment facility to meet the growing requirements in the southern portion of its concession area in anticipation of El Niño.

Maynilad is implementing the Putatan Water Treatment Plant (PWTP) expansion project in Muntinlupa City, based on a notice of public hearing published by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) yesterday.

“The objective of the project is to optimize the operation of the current treatment plants and increase its production capacity from 300,000 cubic meters per day to 340,000 cubic meters per day,” the notice read.

The project will also “provide additional 22,000 cubic meters per day production through a modular treatment plant which will augment the supply deficiency on the southern part of the concession area.”

In a text message, Maynilad corporate communications head Jennifer Rufo said this project is eyed for completion within the year in time for the impact of El Niño.

“This involves the installation of an auxiliary treatment facility, among other enhancement works, that can increase plant production by around 20 million liters per day (MLD). Estimated project cost is P580 million. This is part of our program to augment water supply in time for El Niño,” she said.

At present, Maynilad has two treatment plants in Putatan, Muntinlupa City that provide 300-MLD – or 300,000 cubic meters per day – of water supply for around 1.7 million customers in the south.

The water company said this current capacity is already stretched to meet the current requirements of its customers in the south.

In a radio interview, Rufo said the current raw water intake from Laguna Lake is of good quality.

“The quality of raw water from laguna lake has improved so we have high water production from the Putatan treatment plant,” she said.

Earlier this year, its PTWP Supply Zone experienced water service interruptions for 15 days due to the reduced production in the water treatment plant “resulting from a damaged sludge removal equipment, coupled with a rise in turbidity levels of the raw water from Laguna Lake.”