Make every drop count: Ricky Razon wants to ensure water security for all

Ultra bilyonaryo Ricky Razon-led Manila Water has set in place a blueprint that will ensure sufficient water supply to meet the demand of its growing customer base.

Manila Water said it is embarking on a service improvement plan focused on water security and sustainability to avert any future water shortage.

The company’s water source roadmap includes water-supply augmentation projects such as the Angat-La Mesa Water System, Antipolo Water System, Laguna Lake Water System and the East Sources Water System.

The Angat-La Mesa Water System includes the Umiray-Angat transbasin rehabilitation project and the Sumag River diversion project which will further harness the Sumag River in Quezon Province, while the Antipolo Water System will draw water from Wawa-Calawis with a combined yield of 518 million liters of water by 2025.

The first phase of the Calawis project has already been completed and is undergoing commissioning and testing.

Meanwhile, the East Bay water supply project under the Laguna Lake water system will source water from the eastern flank of Laguna Lake even as the company has completed the Cardona water supply project which gets water from the central portion of the bay.

Other projects being eyed as medium-to long-term water sources include the New Wawa Dam project in Rizal Province, the Kaliwa Dam project and the Kaliwa River project which will harness water from Kaliwa River downstream of Quezon Province.

Aside from these projects, Manila Water is also boosting its climate-change mitigation programs to help ensure water supply reliability.

The company is likewise involved in the protection and reforestation of key watersheds through its watershed management program.

“Manila Water conducts several initiatives to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions while making our operations more efficient and addressing operations risks,” East Zone operations group director Joemar Emboltorio said.