The Bacolod Bulk Water, Inc. (BBWI) is now waiting for the go signal of the Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA) to commence supplying the water district with an initial 15,000 cubic meters of treated water from its Injection Point 1 along Abada-Escay Road at Bangga Bagol in Barangay Granada, Bacolod.

Ryan Wesley T. Yapkianwee, BBWI chairman also told newsmen minutes before the water treatment facility inauguration rites yesterday afternoon, the issue on injecting the bulk water supply to BACIWA’s reservoir now rests on the BACIWA board and management, saying BBWI was able to comply with its Injection 1 target date to be ready by yesterday, October 12.

Yesterday’s inauguration was also attended by the BACIWA Board of Directors led its chairman Atty. Lorendo Dilag, BACIWA General Manager Atty. Julie Ann Carbon, Bacolod City government and barangay Grandana officials, and stakeholders.

THE PROJECT.

The BACIWA bulk water supply project was bidded out last July 2015 by way of competitive bidding under RA9184. The consortium of Tubig Pilipinas Group, Inc., Mactan Rock Industries Inc. and TGV Builders inc. were declared the sole pre-qualified bidders, which submitted the best bid price. In September, 2015 the notice of award was issued, and in March 22, 2016, the Bulk Water Supply Contract was signed. In May, 2016 the 1V Company of Tubig Pilipinas, Mactan Rock and TGV Builders, formed and incorporated, Bacolod Bulk Water Inc (BBWI).

The project involves the supply of potable water to the Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA). BBWI will be supplying an initial 15,000 cubic meters per day per injection point, increasing to a total of 75,00 cubic meters per day, at a price of P8.85/ cubic meter.

A groundbreaking ceremony was done on December 2016 in the Granada WTP, where the Ngalan river is located. Ngalan river will be the first source of Injection point 1, providing the initial 15,000 cubic meters up to 22,500 cubic meters. Construction began on December 2016 and was completed in under 11 months, making it one of if not the fastest constructed bulk water supply project in the country.

The water treatment plant has 3 flocculation tanks, 3 lamella plate clarifiers, and 7 multimedia filters. From the Ngalan river, an intake weir will collect water through one of two (2) intake pumps which will then pump water into the water treatment plant. After treatment, water will be directed to the pipe/reservoir of Bacolod City Water District and then distributed to Bacolod City. While only 1 pump, 2 clarifiers and 6 multimedia filters are enough to provide 15,000cm3/day, BBWI has installed 50% more of the necessary capacity to act as redundancies to ensure continuous 24 hour water supply.

The initial 15,000 cubic meter supply of potable water to the Granada Injection point of BACIWA will drastically improve BACIWA’s current water supply. It is expected to greatly increase water pressure and water availability, increasing available water by as much as 20 hours per day in some areas of Bacolod City.

Future installments are expected to allow BACIWA to expand into previously unserviceable and waterless homes and areas of Bacolod.*(NDB)