Manila Water Philippine Ventures unit, Bulacan Aqua Estates, recently inaugurated an innovative treatment facility that will deliver as much as one million liters of clean, potable water per day—the Nanofiltration - Reverse Osmosis Hybrid Water Treatment Plant. 

Dedicated to serve a residential community of more than 1,000 households in Malolos, Bulacan, the hybrid water treatment plant was intended to address poor quality issues like high total dissolved solids or organic and inorganic substances such as minerals, salts and organic matter contained in raw water. The hybrid technology that combines Nanofiltration system and Reverse Osmosis was developed by Manila Water Total Solutions. Water goes through a rigorous multi-stage treatment process that effectively removes the total dissolved solids, iron, manganese, radon and other heavy metals to produce treated water that is compliant with the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water. Apart from this, it is designed to eliminate undesirable odor and taste.
 

This plant that promotes both mobility and cost-efficiency is Manila Water enterprise’s very first hybrid facility that uses the state-of-the art combined technology. Compared to available technologies in the Philippines, the plant achieves the desired treatment process and compliance with lower capital investment and operation. 

In 2017, water operations of subdivisions developed by Asian Land Strategies Corporation, Solar Resources Inc., and Borland Development Corporation located in San Ildefonso, Pulilan, Sta. Maria, Plaridel, and Malolos City were turned over to Bulacan Aqua Estates. Low water availability, service reliability, and inferior water quality were among the most common challenges that plagued these subdivisions. 

Within two years of operation, Bulacan Aqua Estates has been able to provide 24-hour water supply access to almost 8,000 service connections. By instituting various system rehabilitation and efficiency programs, such as utilization of proper treatment technology, refurbishment and maintenance of water facilities and appurtenances, the company has transformed the water service of these communities. 

In order to augment supply, the company has started leakage detection and reduction programs to improve pressure and lower system losses from as high as 70 percent during the start of operation to a current 21 percent. These measures resulted in almost four million liters of recovered water per day, that is then redistributed through the network for the needed water supply of the customers. 

With continued efforts like the Nanofiltration – Reverse Osmosis Hybrid Water Treatment Plant, as well as regular water quality tests in coordination with municipal and city health offices, the company furthers the delivery of clean, safe, reliable water supply to more and more households of gated communities across the Province of Bulacan.