‘Perennial Metro Manila water crisis resolved in 2021’

MANILA, Philippines — The perennial water shortage in Metro Manila and areas to its eastern borders may be fully resolved in two years, according to proponents of a new water project.

The assurance comes on the heels of the approval by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) of the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project, a joint venture between businessmen Enrique Razon’s Prime Infra and Oscar Violago’s San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders Group (SLRB).

With the green light from the MWSS, Razon assured the public that the project will be fast-tracked so at least 80 million liters of water a day will be available by 2021 for areas serviced by Manila Water.

“We thank the decisive leadership of MWSS for the approval of the project and assure them of our commitment to help in solving the current water crisis,” Razon, chairman of Prime Infra, said.

The project will tap water from the Wawa Dam in Rizal province to add supply to Manila Water’s concession areas. Up to 500 million liters a day are expected to be added to the supply by 2025. It will raise Manila Water’s supply by 30 percent.

Wawa Dam was the primary water source of Metro Manila before Angat Dam was built.

The Razon-led venture is prepared to invest up to P20 billion for the project to ensure water-supply security over the medium- and long-term.

“Our project is one of the fastest and most sustainable ways to solve this current water crisis. If we don’t act now, this will be a recurring problem,” Razon said.

SLRB president and chief executive officer Anthony Jude Violago thanked the MWSS, Manila Water and Razon for hammering out a “win-win formula” to the much-delayed project.

The project had been in the works for 20 years, including two years of joint development work between Razon and Violago.

“After 20 years, my father’s vision will finally come to fruition. Water will now flow to Metro Manila residents, solving the current water problems,” the younger Violago said.

MWSS chairman Franklin Demonteverde and administrator Reynaldo Velasco announced the agency’s approval of the joint venture on May 23. The approval was made in two separate board meetings on May 9 and May 22.

The MWSS and the Office of the Government Corporate Council (OGCC) are finalizing the remaining issues on the project.

“We look forward to finalizing the remaining issues on the ongoing review of the OGCC and the MWSS-Regulatory Office to accelerate project execution, considering the criticality of delivering the much-needed water supply in the east zone,” Prime Infra president and chief operating officer Guillaume Lucci said.

Securing water supply is one of the cornerstones of his administration, and the Wawa bulk water supply project is a critical and integral part of the vision, according to Velasco.

“It is among the priority initiatives committed to President Duterte in addressing the current water supply deficit, which government resources cannot afford, and this is the reason why a private sector-led development of bulk supply of water was sought,” he said in a statement.

The tariff impact of the Wawa bulk water supply project is expected to be very minimal since the total systems cost of the project will be cost-effective compared to other water source options because of the strategic location of the water supply source within the east zone concession.