New water consortium readies bid for MCWD

Newly formed consortium Cebu Bulk Water Resources Inc. (CBWRI) is going to submit a multi-million peso water project proposal to Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) to supply at least 100 cubic meters of water.

CBWRI legal counsel Romulo Senining said in a press conference that the group will vow to immediately supply this water volume to MCWD if the proposal will be approved.

The target is to provide interim water supply to MCWD, as the Ayala Water Carmen project is seen to take longer in providing the 40,000 cubic meter water supply to MCWD, he said.

Initially, Senining informed MCWD general manager Armando Paredes for the consortium's interest of the project, but the group intends to submit the formal proposal immediately after the 12th ASEAN Summit.

"We would like to convey the water consuming public that we have an immediate source of water with lower cost," Senining said.

CBWRI, which is composed of Michel Lhuillier and Mactan Rock Industries Inc., the Lhuillier side will have to take care of the financial aspect, while Mactan Rock for the technology and technical infrastructure.

The consortium will be offering P18 per cubic meter to MCWD, utilizing the surface water to be sourced from different barangays within Cebu City.

These barangays which have ample surface water supply include; Bonbon (the waterhead of Mananga River), Pulang Bato in Talamban, Bulacao, Sapang Dako (Guadalupe), Haklapan, and Mananga River.

"We will promise to supply the MCWD within six months after the proposal will be approved, and not later than 24 months," Senining said.

The Ayala proposal, which is presently stuck with the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), was designed to deliver 50,000 cubic meters daily from rivers in Carmen town some 40 kilometers north of Cebu City.



The company is also planning to build a desalination plant in Metro Cebu, which would convert sea water into potable water.

One of the investors in the consortium, Mactan Rock Industries Inc. already operates a desalination plant near the boundary of Cordova and Lapu-Lapu City in Mactan Island, which would also be tapped for the project.

At present MCWD supplies some 150,000 cubic meters of water to some 100,000 households in Metro Cebu. The water district, however, admits to supply around half of the households in its franchise because of lack of water supply and distribution lines.

Based on Water Remind study, Metro Cebu's total water demand is estimated at 250,000 cubic meters to 300,000 cubic meters a day. Currently, MCWD is only supply 50 percent of this demand, the rest is supplied by private deep well operators.