THE JE Hydro and Bio-Energy Corporation has completed the P1.2-billion Lusaran Bulk Water Project that can deliver 20 million liters of water daily to the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD).
Officials of JE Hyrdo, MCWD, and invited guests attended the formal inauguration and blessing of the water treatment plant in the mountain barangay of Lusaran, Cebu City, which is the source of the water, on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022.
Jose Daluz III, chairman of the board of directors of MCWD, thanked JE Hydro for completing the project in 18 months, one year of which it spent securing permits and other documents.
“The project has three components. The Lusaran facility is 100 percent operational but there are problems with the other contracts like the piping, which is not yet finished. Hopefully, this will all be completed by this month. But as far as the Lusaran facility is concerned, they can already operate pending the go-ahead from the MCWD,” he said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
The first component refers to the two modular water tanks in Barangay Busay, while JFAP Construction is still working on the second component, which is the piping from Busay to JY Square in Barangay Lahug.
Daluz said the MCWD board passed a resolution allowing JE Hydro to supply an additional 15 million liters of water so more households would have access to drinking water.
Joffry Hapitan, chairman and chief executive officer of JE Hydro, said that in the next six months, they will be able to provide 10 to 15 million liters of water daily from the river in Barangay Cambinocot, which is near Lusaran River.
“As of now, we can supply 20 million liters a day but in less than six months, we can supply an addition 15 million liters. We all have the hydrology study. We have several river systems here, not just Lusaran River,” he said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
All in all, more than 60,000 households, particularly in the north district, will benefit from that water.
Hapitan said the water from their plant in Lusaran passed the Philippine standard for drinking and its potability was approved by the Department of Health.
He said although the Lusaran Bulk Water Project is the first project that JE Hydro owns, it has designed 10 other water treatment plants.
Daluz said the MCWD will buy water from JE Hydro for P65 per cubic meter and sell it to the public for P24 per cubic meter starting in July 2023.
However, he said the MCWD will charge higher rates for commercial establishments. (PJB)