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MAYNILAD Water Companies Inc. just lately launched its “New Water” mission which goals to recycle handled used water from its sewage remedy vegetation (STP) in Parañaque Metropolis for redistribution to the faucets of water clients inside its concession space.
Firm officers stated with its New Water mission, Maynilad would be capable of increase the restricted provide coming from Angat Dam, initially by 10 million liters per day (MLD), and keep away from the perennial issues encountered in extracting uncooked water from floor water like Laguna de Bay, such because the algal bloom and excessive water turbidity throughout typhoons and heavy downpour.
The New Water shall be blended with handled water from Maynilad’s remedy vegetation in La Mesa and shall be provided to Barangays San Dionisio and San Isidro in Parañaque Metropolis, that are the areas nearest to the modular remedy plant (ModTP) location.
In accordance with Maynilad, some 38,700 clients in these barangays will profit from the extra provide, as it is going to enhance water availability within the space sans added price to its clients.
Maynilad officers led by its President and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez assured the general public that Maynilad’s New Water handed the Philippine Nationwide Normal for Consuming Water, therefore, secure to drink.
Potable, secure
ACCORDING to Maynilad, its New Water is the potable water provide that’s produced after used water from households passes by rigorous and stringent remedy course of to change into drinkable.
“Maynilad is shifting in the direction of potable water reuse in a bid to spice up accessible provides given the rising demand for water, in addition to the pressure on present uncooked water assets because of the affect of local weather change,” Maynilad stated in its Often Requested Questions posted in its web site.
Through the mission’s launch on June 29, 2022, Fernandez was joined by company from the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), the native authorities unit (LGU) of Parañaque, and the Division of Setting and Pure Sources (DENR) for the ceremonial drink-up of Maynilad’s New Water to show that it’s certainly “secure to drink.”
Socially acceptable
PER Maynilad, it has been conducting a collection of social acceptability assessments and public consultations involving residential and business clients, LGUs and authorities businesses, together with the Division of Well being, the DENR, the MWSS and the Nationwide Water Sources Board (NWRB) to make sure that the New Water shall be acceptable to customers.
Maynilad additional stated that primarily based on its preliminary social acceptability check, residential and business clients of Maynilad have expressed willingness to make use of New Water after seeing the product water and understanding the thought behind it.
A primary in PHL
WHILE Maynilad would be the first to do it within the Philippines, changing used water to potable water is already being achieved in different nations corresponding to Namibia, South Africa, and a few areas in america which might be recognized to implement direct potable reuse.
Maynilad stated different nations corresponding to Belgium, Singapore, the UK, Australia, and a few components of the US undertake an “oblique potable reuse” by groundwater recharge and floor water augmentation.
Maynilad stated it benchmarked with Namibia and Singapore earlier than its transfer to faucet handled used water for consuming.
In accordance with Maynilad, Namibia, a pioneer in growing potable provide from reused water, has been recycling handled used water since 1968. Actually, Windhoek Metropolis is at present getting 24 % of its consuming water from this supply.
In the meantime, Singapore—an island city-state with little water provide—produces NEWater to fulfill water demand. NEWater now provides round 40 % of its drinkable and non-drinkable water, Maynilad identified.
New Water: Doable
ASKED to weigh in on Maynilad’s New Water initiative, Antonio Tompar, a Cebu-based businessman and a pioneer in water desalination or the method of changing salt water into freshwater, stated Maynilad’s transfer to faucet handled used water from its STPs to make it drinkable is doable, and, in truth, extra economical than tapping water from rivers or lakes.
He stated it could be rather a lot cheaper to deal with water from its STPs than making potable water extracted from Laguna de Bay or Pasig River drinkable.
It comes with a value
“THE price of treating water goes up relying on the extent of air pollution,” says Tompar. He stated turbidity alone is a giant drawback.
Tompar, CEO of Mactan Rock Industries Inc., is named “Cebu’s Water King.” His firm, a pioneer in bulk water provide and water expertise supplier within the Philippines, has been offering numerous establishments with desalinated water for many years. Trade-wise, Mactan Rock has secured greater than half of Cebu’s bulk water provide, and maybe in the complete nation, servicing industries with its lowest water price starting from P75 to P85 per cubic meter, as in comparison with the greater than P100 per cubic meter supplied by different firms.
He stated producing freshwater that’s drinkable or secure to drink is doable, because of trendy expertise.
‘All within the thoughts’
HOWEVER, Tompar stated persuading water customers to drink used water from the STPs is a reasonably totally different story altogether.
“It’s psychological. It is going to be laborious to persuade folks to drink used water. Even in Singapore, lots of people purchase mineral water,” he advised the BusinessMirror.
As a expertise supplier, Tompar made a shocking declaration of its plan to make water from Pasig River, one of many nation’s dirtiest rivers, drinkable—utilizing reverse osmosis.
Tompar’s Mactan Rock has been offering secure, consuming water to varied purchasers, together with motels and financial zones.
A welcome initiative
DR. Sevillo David Jr., government director of the NWRB, stated Maynilad’s New Water initiative is a welcome improvement.
“Any initiative to recycle water to make use of water once more shall be useful,” says David.
David stated water recycling, in truth, must be practiced even by households by maximizing water use earlier than they lastly eliminate it.
Whereas handled used water is already being transformed into drinkable water in different nations, it’s best to ensure that the expertise we have now for such initiatives is equally dependable and secure.
“Dapat pa rin nating pag-aralan lalo at makakatulong naman talaga ito,” he stated.
The official stated water degree at Angat Dam stays beneath the conventional working degree of 180 meters above sea degree regardless of a number of days of rains. To make sure a sustainable water provide, nevertheless, he stated the best choice is to develop new water sources, just like the Kaliwa Dam, and make folks understand the significance of conserving freshwater.
Netizens’ response
MAYNILAD’S New Water, as anticipated, drew different reactions. Whereas many lauded the hassle and thanked the corporate for its initiative, some stay skeptical, as a minimum.
Veteran journalist Alfredo Gomez Pedroche, responding to an off-the-cuff survey by way of Fb, stated: “All of the water we use, drink, bathe with, prepare dinner with, have been used by the ages. The water we drink was urine and sewage water. Water is of course recycled and who is aware of, we have now most likely drunk what was the urine of our forefathers.”
“Maybe I’d puke to drink water from purified septic tank water however what we don’t know don’t harm. There’s now a contemporary expertise getting used for the aim,” he added.
Communication skilled Roland Alino Inciong stated water recycling to reinforce potable water is actual they usually additionally name it “New Water.”
“Examine Singapore. They’re consuming purified sewage water. I used to be there when the Prime Minister tasted the primary processed water. New Water ang tawag nila midday [is what they call it over there],” Inciong stated.
In Maynilad’s official FB web page, netizen Jay Nadz Genetiano Libardo stated: “Congrats workforce Maynilad for such effort to supply extra sources of potable water.”
Some netizens, nevertheless, stay skeptical, even attacking the corporate’s poor companies, particularly in Imus, Cavite, which has been experiencing frequent water service interruption.
Nadine Villanueva dared Maynilad officers to first strive for themselves by consuming water supplied by the corporate to residents of Imus.
“Strive consuming your water right here in Imus as soon as the water provide resumes. It smells like sewer,” Villanueva lamented.
Netizen Paw San Mateo, for his half, stated he might not admire New Water as a result of they’re at all times sleeping late at evening to attend for water to circulation from the faucets. “Di namin maa-admire ’yan kasi mga puyat kami magipon ng tubig.”
Roi Cabalida from Imus additionally lamented that they’ve been experiencing water shortage in Imus for seven years already.
Now, that’s one other story.
Picture credit: Maynilad, Pub/Singapore’s Nationwide Water Company(www.pub.gov.sg)
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