How Maynilad Makes Water Potable
I recently saw this documentary about Kenya experiencing water scarcity due to population growth, in which the children are suffering more because of water-related diseases.
It has indeed put a strain on their country's water resources, sadly leading to a crippled country.
And here I am, still condemning everyone for that grueling 30-minute water shut-off that happened a few days ago here in our village. But believe it or not, my tour yesterday of this particular water treatment facility in Quezon City has developed some sort of an attitude of gratitude within me. Thankful about life more than ever because we are living in a country (although not first-world) where clean water is accessible and still provided to Filipinos each day.
How Maynilad Makes Water Potable
Our first stop was at La Mesa Water Treatment Plant 2 then we headed straight to Angat Dam where Maynilad Water Source Head Rodel Tumandao and Water Supply Operations Head Ronaldo Padua have patiently entertained questions from tour participants and went into detail on Metro Manila Raw Water Sources (i.e., description of existing facilities, flow of water from the source, sharing among concessionaires, other sources being considered by the government).
Okay, so Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is the agent and contractor of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of the cities of Manila (all except Sta. Ana and San Andres), Quezon City (certain portions), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon, all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province.
According to Engr. Rodel, Angat Dam in Norzagaray Bulacan and is being managed by Angat Hydropower Corporation (AHC). This is currently the major source of domestic water for residents of Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Did you know that about 91% of Maynilad's raw water supply comes from Angat Dam in Bulacan and the rest of 9% comes from Laguna Lake?
Raw water coming from Angat Dam flows down to Ipo Dam, and thereafter goes directly to Maynilad’s La Mesa Water Treatment Plants 1 and 2. These facilities use a multi-stage process to treat the raw water from Angat Dam and convert it to potable water.
Raw water from Angat Dam goes through:
Screening - Removes foreign objects such as grass, tree limbs, etc.
Rapid Mixing - Chemicals and Chlorine are added
Flocculation - Water is gently stirred to create large particles called "Flocs"
Sedimentation - Flocs are allowed to settle at the bottom
Filtration - Flocs are filtered
Post treatment - Lime and Chlorine are added again
After the Angat Dam tour, we went down to Ipo Dam – CPF Office, where we had our tour at Ipo facilities with Discussion on Metro Manila Raw Water Allocation (i.e., how Ipo Dam helps when water level in Angat Dam is low, its maintaining and spilling levels, its management by the two concessionaires, etc.)
So, from Angat Dam, raw water flows downward to the much-smaller Ipo Dam and, eventually to the Novaliches Portal where the water is divided between Manila Water and Maynilad but only Manila Water gets raw water from La Mesa Dam.
Facts : Maynilad operates and maintains:
Maynilad has already laid 3,137 kilometers of water pipelines since 2007, bringing the total length of water pipelines laid to 7,714 kilometers.
The National Water Resources Board or NWRB is the government agency in charge of determining the raw water allocation from Angat Dam for the Metro Manila water concessionaires, including Maynilad.
At present, although the water level in Angat Dam is above its operating level, it is still not at the ideal level particularly now that the dry season is coming (lesser rains but higher demand due to the heat). To preserve the water in Angat Dam and ensure that there will still be water this summer, NWRB reduced raw water allocation for Metro Manila and nearby provinces to 42 cubic meters per second (cms), down from the normal 48 cms.
This reduced raw water allocation forced Maynilad to implement daily water service interruptions. Rotating the limited supply was intended to ensure that all of their customers will have water, even for only a few hours daily.
Did you know that the duration of the water interruption in your area is dependent on the hydraulic configuration and topography of your location?
Meaning, if you are in a low-lying area, or near Maynilad’s pumping stations, it is possible that your area will experience shorter water service interruptions.
Unfortunately, those who are living in elevated areas may experience longer water service interruptions because it takes more time to pump the water upwards.
Just recently, NWRB increased our raw water allocation to 46 cms, in support of the government’s call to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This thankfully allowed Maynilad to suspend the daily service interruptions, or isolate it to off-peak hours in some areas. While it’s good news for us water consumers, I can’t help but wonder how this will affect the water level in Angat Dam once the full onslaught of summer sets in. NWRB only assured a 46 cms allocation until end of March 2020. So there’s still a possibility that the allocation will be reduced in the succeeding months until the rainy season comes.
Don’t worry, as Maynilad is doing its best to mitigate the impact of a reduced raw water allocation particularly during the dry season when we will need more water. As early as last year, they have been implementing measures including the following:
1. Optimizing its Putatan Water Treatment Plant 1 (PWTP 1) – Maynilad’s first facility to draw water from Laguna Lake since 2010.
2. Commissioning of PWTP 2 – Maynilad invested in a second treatment plant that draws more water from Laguna Lake.
3. Reactivating deep wells – Maynilad has been reactivating existing deep wells within its concession area, using additional treatment technology to make the yield potable.
4. Sustaining reduction of water losses – Maynilad inherited one of the oldest pipe networks in Asia, with some segments dating back to the Spanish times. After pouring millions worth of investments, the company has already replaced over 2,500 kilometers of old pipes and repaired more than 360,000 pipe leaks since 2008. These efforts result in supply recovery for distribution to customers. Recent intensified water loss reduction initiatives will enable Maynilad to plow back around 83 MLD additional supply to the network by summer 2020, and another 11 MLD by Q3 of 2020.
5. Purchasing modular treatment plants that will tap rivers in Cavite – Maynilad is exploring the deployment of modular water treatment plants that will extract raw water from rivers in Cavite within the West Zone.
6. Deploying mobile water tankers and stationary water tanks (SWT) – Maynilad acquired a total of 69 mobile water tankers and 32 SWTs, which are being deployed to different areas within its West Zone concession.
7. Conducting cloud-seeding operations – Maynilad is currently working with MWSS, Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), and Philippine Air Force (PAF) on the guidelines and schedule of the cloud-seeding operations.
Note, however that these mitigating measures will only add supply but will not totally address the issue. Because, I learned that the ultimate solution is to develop an additional water source, similar to Angat Dam, which the MWSS is currently working on.
By the way, if you experience discoloration after a water interruption, it is because the flow of water scrapes the mineral deposits in the inner lining of pipes. You just have to let the water flow out first before using it to remove the discoloration.
This Maynilad tour was indeed a memorable one. They focused on practices and I learned so much in the technical side even if you have no background in engineering or chemistry.
Maynilad provided an opportunity for us to observe how everything works and how it gets done.
Next article would be urging the public to observe water conservation measures since Summer 2020 is fast approaching. So, watch out for that.
To know more about Maynilad, please visit http://www.mayniladwater.com.ph
It has indeed put a strain on their country's water resources, sadly leading to a crippled country.
How Maynilad Makes Water Potable
Our first stop was at La Mesa Water Treatment Plant 2 then we headed straight to Angat Dam where Maynilad Water Source Head Rodel Tumandao and Water Supply Operations Head Ronaldo Padua have patiently entertained questions from tour participants and went into detail on Metro Manila Raw Water Sources (i.e., description of existing facilities, flow of water from the source, sharing among concessionaires, other sources being considered by the government).
According to Engr. Rodel, Angat Dam in Norzagaray Bulacan and is being managed by Angat Hydropower Corporation (AHC). This is currently the major source of domestic water for residents of Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Raw water coming from Angat Dam flows down to Ipo Dam, and thereafter goes directly to Maynilad’s La Mesa Water Treatment Plants 1 and 2. These facilities use a multi-stage process to treat the raw water from Angat Dam and convert it to potable water.
Screening - Removes foreign objects such as grass, tree limbs, etc.
Rapid Mixing - Chemicals and Chlorine are added
Flocculation - Water is gently stirred to create large particles called "Flocs"
Sedimentation - Flocs are allowed to settle at the bottom
Filtration - Flocs are filtered
Post treatment - Lime and Chlorine are added again
After the Angat Dam tour, we went down to Ipo Dam – CPF Office, where we had our tour at Ipo facilities with Discussion on Metro Manila Raw Water Allocation (i.e., how Ipo Dam helps when water level in Angat Dam is low, its maintaining and spilling levels, its management by the two concessionaires, etc.)
So, from Angat Dam, raw water flows downward to the much-smaller Ipo Dam and, eventually to the Novaliches Portal where the water is divided between Manila Water and Maynilad but only Manila Water gets raw water from La Mesa Dam.
Facts : Maynilad operates and maintains:
- 4 water treatment plants
- 22 wastewater treatment plants
- 36 pumping stations
- 32 reservoirs
- 28 in-line boosters
Maynilad has already laid 3,137 kilometers of water pipelines since 2007, bringing the total length of water pipelines laid to 7,714 kilometers.
At present, although the water level in Angat Dam is above its operating level, it is still not at the ideal level particularly now that the dry season is coming (lesser rains but higher demand due to the heat). To preserve the water in Angat Dam and ensure that there will still be water this summer, NWRB reduced raw water allocation for Metro Manila and nearby provinces to 42 cubic meters per second (cms), down from the normal 48 cms.
This reduced raw water allocation forced Maynilad to implement daily water service interruptions. Rotating the limited supply was intended to ensure that all of their customers will have water, even for only a few hours daily.
Did you know that the duration of the water interruption in your area is dependent on the hydraulic configuration and topography of your location?
Meaning, if you are in a low-lying area, or near Maynilad’s pumping stations, it is possible that your area will experience shorter water service interruptions.
Unfortunately, those who are living in elevated areas may experience longer water service interruptions because it takes more time to pump the water upwards.
Don’t worry, as Maynilad is doing its best to mitigate the impact of a reduced raw water allocation particularly during the dry season when we will need more water. As early as last year, they have been implementing measures including the following:
1. Optimizing its Putatan Water Treatment Plant 1 (PWTP 1) – Maynilad’s first facility to draw water from Laguna Lake since 2010.
2. Commissioning of PWTP 2 – Maynilad invested in a second treatment plant that draws more water from Laguna Lake.
3. Reactivating deep wells – Maynilad has been reactivating existing deep wells within its concession area, using additional treatment technology to make the yield potable.
4. Sustaining reduction of water losses – Maynilad inherited one of the oldest pipe networks in Asia, with some segments dating back to the Spanish times. After pouring millions worth of investments, the company has already replaced over 2,500 kilometers of old pipes and repaired more than 360,000 pipe leaks since 2008. These efforts result in supply recovery for distribution to customers. Recent intensified water loss reduction initiatives will enable Maynilad to plow back around 83 MLD additional supply to the network by summer 2020, and another 11 MLD by Q3 of 2020.
5. Purchasing modular treatment plants that will tap rivers in Cavite – Maynilad is exploring the deployment of modular water treatment plants that will extract raw water from rivers in Cavite within the West Zone.
6. Deploying mobile water tankers and stationary water tanks (SWT) – Maynilad acquired a total of 69 mobile water tankers and 32 SWTs, which are being deployed to different areas within its West Zone concession.
7. Conducting cloud-seeding operations – Maynilad is currently working with MWSS, Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), and Philippine Air Force (PAF) on the guidelines and schedule of the cloud-seeding operations.
Note, however that these mitigating measures will only add supply but will not totally address the issue. Because, I learned that the ultimate solution is to develop an additional water source, similar to Angat Dam, which the MWSS is currently working on.
This Maynilad tour was indeed a memorable one. They focused on practices and I learned so much in the technical side even if you have no background in engineering or chemistry.
Maynilad provided an opportunity for us to observe how everything works and how it gets done.
Next article would be urging the public to observe water conservation measures since Summer 2020 is fast approaching. So, watch out for that.
To know more about Maynilad, please visit http://www.mayniladwater.com.ph
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