West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) is tapping used water as an alternative raw water supply source for drinking. Benchmarking with Singapore in Asia and Namibia in Southern Africa, Maynilad would be the first in the Philippines to produce drinkable reused water.
The company will utilize one of its new Modular Treatment Plants (ModTP) to convert treated used water into potable supply called New Water. These ModTPs use treatment technology from Israel, a known global leader in water innovation. Power 4 All was the lead contractor in the design, build, installation, and commissioning of these ModTPs.
The used water from households that Maynilad collects through its conveyance system will pass through a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) where it will undergo a series of treatment processes (e.g., Screening, Aeration, Biological Nutrient Removal, Sedimentation, Ultraviolet Disinfection, etc.) to become "treated used water", which meets the Ambient Water and General Effluent Standards of 2021 set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
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This "treated used water" that is discharged by the STP will thereafter pass through a ModTP where it will be further purified. The ModTP's multi-stage treatment process includes Pressurized Media Filtration, Ultrafiltration, Reverse Osmosis, and Chlorine Disinfection. The output from this process is New Water a supply that meets the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water, which is among the more stringent drinking water standards in the world.
For its first implementation, Maynilad is producing around 10 MLD (million liters per day) of New Water via a ModTP that will source "treated used water" from the company's STP in Parañaque City.
This 10 MLD will be fed into the distribution system where it will blend with the standard drinking water produced by Maynilad's La Mesa Treatment Plants.
This blended supply will be conveyed to Barangays San Dionisio and San Isidro in Paranaque City, which are the areas nearest to the ModTP location. Some 38,700 customers in these barangays will benefit from the additional supply, as it will improve water pressure and availability in the area. By including used water to its alternative raw water source options, Maynilad will have enhanced capability to produce more water whenever existing supplies run short.
Maynilad is working with the Department of Health, DENR, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, and the Paranaque City government health office to ensure the New Water is potable. The company is also conducting a series of social acceptability tests of drinkable reused water among consumers.
Source: Maynilad Press Release