West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) inaugurated its P249-million sewage treatment plant (STP) today, February 3, 2015, in Talayan, Quezon City.
The new treatment facility will provide wastewater services for over 27,000 households from Barangays Balingasa, Balong Bato, Damar, Maharlika, Manresa, Masambong, Pag-ibig sa Nayon, San Jose, Sienna, St. Peter, Talayan and Unang Sigaw, and portions of Barangays Apolonio Samson, Lourdes and Sto. Domingo.
The Talayan STP is one of six wastewater facilities funded by Maynilad’s $137-million loan from the World Bank for the development and improvement of wastewater services in the West Zone. Other facilities to be funded by this loan are the construction of new STPs in Pasay, Valenzuela and Muntinlupa, construction of a South Septage Treatment Plant, and rehabilitation of the Alabang STP.
The Talayan STP is also one of the 15 wastewater facilities Maynilad is constructing in the San Juan River Basin area. One of the main river systems in Metro Manila, the San Juan River empties out to the Pasig River and eventually into the Manila Bay.
In his speech during the inauguration, Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Herbert M. Consunji said constructing these facilities posed an extra challenge because of the limited land area available. “The STPs had to be built with small footprints because the area is already densely populated.â€
Maynilad’s innovative use of existing treatment technologies enabled it to build Talayan STP, which has the lowest ratio of footprint per area capacity among its wastewater treatment plants in the San Juan River Basin area. That is, despite occupying only 1,840 square meters, the facility can treat up to 15,500 cubic meters (or almost 16 million liters) of wastewater per day.
“Eighty percent (80%) of consumed water turns into wastewater. If left untreated, these go straight into Manila’s river systems. Maynilad is accelerating its wastewater programs in order to help safeguard the health and safety of communities and the environment,†added Consunji.
For 2015, Maynilad has earmarked some P6.5 billion for wastewater programs. This amount includes the construction of wastewater treatment plants and conveyance systems in Cavite and Central Manila.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is the concessionaire of the MWSS for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of the cities of Manila (all but portions of San Andres & Sta. Ana), Quezon City (west of San Juan River, West Avenue, EDSA, Congressional, Mindanao Avenue, the northern part starting from the Districts of the Holy Spirit & Batasan Hills), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province.