The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $126-million (around P6.3 billion) loan to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for the construction of a 15-kilometer (km) water transmission pipeline that will ensure water supply to the 13 million residents of the National Capital Region.
The bank said the additional financing for the Angat water transmission improvement project would help strengthen the water system’s downstream transmission capacity which is part of the rehabilitation of the Umiray—Angat—Ipo dam system which supplies about 90 percent of Metro Manila’s water.
“Climate change is making annual rainfall unpredictable, putting tremendous pressure on water resource use. The Philippine government is increasing investments in clean infrastructure for environmentally sustainable water resource management across the country. Through this project, ADB is helping the Philippines secure Metro Manila’s water supply,” Vijay Padmanabhan, ADB Southeast Asia’s director of the Urban Development and Water Division, said in a statement.
The ADB said MWSS’ planned aqueduct will have 3.6-meter diameter welded steel concrete-coated pipe to help the dam withstand a magnitude 7.2 earthquake. It will also increase the system’s water transfer capacity to 66 cubic meters (cu. m.) per second by 2025 from the current 50 cu. m. per second.
The project will allow MWSS to retire its two oldest aqueducts and repair others through 2032 while providing a stimulus to domestic material suppliers and boost demand for construction jobs once construction starts this year.