Water firms offer excess capacity to corporations

CEBU, Philippines - Amid threats of an inevitable water supply shortage due to the El Niño phenomenon, Mactan Rock Industries Inc. (MRII), together with Pilipinas Water Resources Inc. (PWR), announced the availability of 4,000 cubic-meter of water that corporations may tap.

In an interview with MRII chairman Antonio P. Tompar yesterday he said the combined plants of MRII and PWR have an excess capacity of three thousand to four-thousand cubic-meters a day water supply sourced from desalination plants installed by the companies all over Metro Cebu.

“Our excess capacity will help companies avoid water supply disruption, and this will help save Cebu from a severe shortage of water, just like what’s happening in Metro Manila and other neighboring provinces now,” Tompar said.

Given a few weeks notice, Tompar said MRII and PWR will be able to supply water for companies needing spontaneous supply of water, so that also the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) can focus their attention of providing water to the residential consumers.

Both MRII and PWR have total water supply capacity of 20 thousand cubic meters a day. About 20 percent of this is underutilized. The potable water it supplies using the desalination process is from seawater and brackish water available in Cebu.

Tompar reiterated that the issue on water shortage should not become a social problem, nor a problem that could affect the attractiveness of Cebu to foreign investors, as technology affords an abundant water supply for both residential and corporate requirements, despite the threat of El Niño.

These companies (MRII and PWR) have a total number of 10 desalination plants installed in different areas around the Metro Cebu.

Already, some industries (Mez 1 and 2) and resorts in Mactan Island have already taken advantage of the desalination technology in order to give way for the residential users not to be deprived of water supply.

According to Tompar, commercial and industrial entities should see the huge contribution they could give to majority, if they have to consider utilizing the technology.

“Commercial and industrial sectors can afford to source the desalination process. This is very important so that the Philippines will not be known as a country that has severe water supply problem.

Besides, Tompar said desalination process right now is no longer an expensive technology because it has become a competitive water technology in the world.

In Mactan Export Zone 1 and 2 for instance, companies are already utilizing desalination technology for their operations’ needs. This way, water supply from the water utility companies will be focused on providing to the residential users.

Desalination refers to any of several processes that remove excess salt and other minerals from water. Water is desalinated in order to be converted to fresh water suitable for human consumption or irrigation. 

In Cebu, there are a lot of water sources that can be utilized, as the desalination process will convert brackish water, lakes, seawater, and saline surface water into fresh water, which is now usually adopted by large companies, such as manufacturing firms, Resorts, among others.

This means, that if there is more demand for water supply, the company will be able to provide additional cubic-meter requirements.