Metro Pacific and DMCI-led Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) recently completed the construction of its P25-million Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) along Congressional Ave. in Quezon City. The sewerage facility is designed to treat up to 570 cubic meters per day of wastewater, which is equivalent to 30,155 five-gallon containers.
The Congressional STP can serve up to 4,400 people in Barangay Bahay Toro and will help clear the San Juan River Basin, which empties to major water systems such as the Pasig River and Manila Bay.
Through the use of a technology called “Sequencing Batch Reactor” (SBR), Maynilad was able to build the new STP within a confined space. SBR provides a high degree of coliform and biological nutrient removal, which helps ensure that the water emptying into the Culiat Creek follows environmental standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Maynilad adopted the use of SBR for the Congressional STP because of the small space allotted for the facility, which is located in a densely populated area.
“Wastewater management plays an important role in protecting the health and sanitation of communities and the environment. This is why we continue to accelerate our projects for the proper treatment and disposal of wastewater in our concession area. This is the commitment of Maynilad,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ricky P. Vargas.
For 2012 alone, the company has allotted P2.7 billion to boost its sewerage and sanitation drive. It also aims to construct a total of 14 STPs in the San Juan River Basin area until 2013 and five more STPs in other areas of the West Zone by 2016.
The World Bank recently extended a US$275-million loan to Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to finance sewerage projects under the Metro Manila Wastewater Management Project (MWMP). LBP shall equally divide the proceeds of the said loan between Maynilad and Manila Water.
Maynilad will tap this loan to partially fund its construction and rehabilitation of STPs and conveyance systems in Pasay, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela and Quezon City, and the construction of a septage treatment plant in the southern part of its concession.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is a concessionaire of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (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; Cavite City, and the towns of Bacoor, Imus, Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province.