Maynilad facility processes wastewater for potable reuse

MANILA, Philippines — Maynilad has started operating a reclamation facility and new water treatment plant that provides potable water using a “direct potable reuse” process.

The company says the facility, which provides potable water to two pilot barangays in Parañaque City, is the first of its kind in Asia.

Under this system, Maynilad New Water officer-in-charge Danica Parafina said the facility provides at least 10 million liters per day (MLD) to barangays San Dionisio and San Isidro and covers at least 38,700 customers.

The facility became operational on Oct. 26.

“Maynilad proved that it can treat and recycle water. Our common practice is the wastewater goes to the creaks, rivers. But now, Maynilad showed the opportunity that water can be treated so that customers can again reuse it,” Parafina said in an interview recently with The STAR.

She pointed out that Maynilad started to develop other sources of water after the 2019 experience where the water level in Angat Dam reached its lowest critical level of 157 meters amid the El Niño phenomenon.

“Maynilad saw the opportunity that wastewater can be treated so that customers can reuse it and lessen our dependence on Angat Dam,” Parafina pointed out.

Aside from this, the increasing population and the effect of climate change were among the reasons on the need to develop new alternative sources of water, she added.

“That’s the problem if we have climate change, during summer and El Niño, the water levels of dams go down. When there is typhoon, there is an increase in the turbidity in the water due to landslide, illegal cutting of trees. We have difficulty in treating water at the La Mesa Water Treatment Plant,” Parafina noted.

She said the Maynilad Parañaque Reclamation Facility and New Water Treatment Plant is the first in Asia in terms of direct potable reuse.
“When it comes to potable water, we have two types: the indirect potable reuse and direct potable reuse. Indirect potable reuse pertains to water coming from dams and being treated. After customers use it, the water is treated in the wastewater facility and the wastewater facility returns the water to the dams,” she explained, citing the case of Singapore