P1-billion water investment starts up in Iloilo

A P1-BILLION investment on bulk water supply reeled on February 14 to augment the dwindling water supply shortage of the franchise area of Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD), especially in Iloilo City.

MIWD assured there will be no increases in water rate of P15.90 per cubic meter to end-consumers, nor fees to be collected for reconnection of 2,000 service connections.

MIWD general manager Pablo Bercilla said the water district contractor successfully commissioned its newly constructed water treatment plant in Barangay Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo to produce 25,000 cubic meters per day of bulk water supply to its franchise area, with Iloilo City as biggest consumer and the rest of municipalities in the province.

Bercilla said the joint venture investments of Prime Water Ventures, Solerex Technologies Inc. and Marro Holdings Corp. offer a bid price of P9.45 per cubic meter at Injection Point 2 in Tacas, Jaro, Iloilo City.

The same consortium also offered P11.72 per cubic meter at Injection Point Number 3 located at the Leganes Elementary School in Leganes, Iloilo.

However, MIWD is currently delivering 10,000 cubic meters per day as it shut up the 15,000 cubic meters due to defective water pipes.

Bercilla admitted they are still correcting the defective pipes with leaks in Cari Mayor, Leganes; Buhang and Tacas in Jaro; and Pagsangaan and Anilao in Pavia.

More defective water pipes and leaks will soon be replaced, he said.

Meanwhile, Local Waterworks Utilities Administration (LWUA) chairman Rene Villa said the consortium is capable of producing some 100,000 cubic meters of bulk water per day that could deliver water to fully cover the water supply needs in Iloilo.

Villa said the 25,000 cubic meters of water per day is not an answer to the problems of water needs, adding the water district is currently serving 31,000 service connections but only 22,000 cubic meters are being served. With the entry of 25,000 cubic meters, the service area is expected to have enough water supply, he added.

It is expected that more demand for water will be created especially in Iloilo City, as more big corporations are eyeing the city as the next investment location in the country. (Lydia C. Pendon)