Before summer sets in this year, SUBICWATER will have a two million-liter steel-bolted tank standing at its Mabayuan Water Treatment Plant (MWTP) to provide extra water supply to the northern part of Olongapo City.
The P21-million project which broke ground on September 10, 2012 is 14 meters wide by 13.48 meters high, with self-supporting dome roof trusses, external ladder, and platform.
The tank’s concrete foundation was finished as of end of December 2012, and SUBICWATER engineers say the project will be completed by the end of February 2013.
Residents from barangays being serviced by MWTP— Kalaklan, West Bajac-bajac, East Bajac-bajac, Mabayuan, Sta. Rita, Gordon Heights, and Old Cabalan— are poised to benefit from this project.
“Given the tank’s dimensions, we will always have an extra two-million liters (2,000 cubic meters) of treated water ready, acting as a buffer whenever the rivers produce less raw water and demand from consumers shoots up,” said SUBICWATER General Manager Edna Canlas.
“Should the ‘abnormal’ dry season of 2011 strike again, the situation would be more manageable with this new steel-bolted tank in place,” added Canlas.
In can be recalled that during the summer of 2011, yield from SUBICWATER’s raw water sources dropped to ‘critical levels’, the worst the private utility has experienced since 1997 when it started operations.
Major Upgrades
Along with projects that maximized the yield of Olongapo City’s raw water sources, SUBICWATER inaugurated on April 19, 2012 its P50-million, 19-MLD (million liters per day) filter at the MWTP, effectively raising the facility’s maximum production capability to 38 MLD.
One of the two 19-MLD clarifier tanks was also rehabilitated at a cost of about 900,000.
MWTP’s chemical storage structure was modified and now sports an online analyzer that provides real-time monitoring of water quality like PH, turbidity, and residual chlorine. Total cost for this rehabilitation program was pegged at P4-million.
“We are constantly upgrading the Mabayuan Water Treatment Plant to ensure that future water demands of our customers will be met,” said Canlas.