Excess irrigation water to be used for human consumption

MANILA, Philippines — The private sector will start utilizing excess water from irrigation to be used for domestic consumption to guarantee enough supply for consumers.

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) recently inked agreements with the Manny V. Pangilinan-led Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Cagayan de Oro Bulk Water Inc. for the utilization of excess water from two irrigation systems managed by the agency for domestic consumption.

For Maynilad, it will utilize the excess water from five identified dams in Cavite namely Bukal, Embarcadero, Tres Cruzes, Bayan and Plucena Dam with an aggregate volume of 94,060 cubic meters per day.

The agreement is an offshoot of the memorandum of understanding entered by the parties to conduct a feasibility study on all dams within the province to determine any excess water from each dam after the irrigation needs of the farmers are satisfied.

For Cagayan de Oro, it will pursue the conveyance of 30 million liters per day of excess water from the Bubunawan River Irrigation System in Bukidnon to the designated point of the company for a period of five years.

The feasibility study for the activity was successful and has no cost to NIA.

The study included the impact of the plans on the irrigability of the area. The service rate for the temporary utilization of the main canal of NIA irrigation system for the conveyance of raw water is open at six percent of gross income.?

Late last year, NIA and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) agreed to undertake joint projects to solve possible water and food security problems in Metro Manila and nearby areas.?

Apart from Cavite, MWSS is eyeing the first of its flagship ABC projects and will form part of the Angat-Ipo-Norzagaray Water Optimization Plan in Bulacan.

With the Bulacan airport project, MWSS is now expecting the influx of several commercial and residential establishments which would eventually convert agricultural land areas into other business properties.

Of the water supplied to MWSS service areas, 96 percent is sourced from the Angat-Umiray Water system, three percent from Laguna de Bay and one percent from ground water.

Of MWSS’ 46 cubic meters per second of water rights, 15 cms is from NIA’s 36 cms water rights, leaving NIA with 21 cms equivalent to 1,814 MLD.

The other components of the ABC projects are the Bayabas Dam project and the Candaba Multipurpose Impounding Dam.

The completion of these projects will provide the desired water security level for Mega Manila at least over the next five to 10 years.