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STATE OF WATER IN THE PHILIPPINES

WATER HISTORY AND
RE-USE WATER SYSTEMS

January 2022

Water in the Philippines

Water is an indispensable resource that we only fully appreciate in its absence. One in ten people in the Philippines does not have access to improved water sources. Throughout the years, the Philippines has been exploring several options to cope with water scarcity. As members of society, we have a responsibility to do our part of using and managing water responsibly.

Philippine Water History

Despite being an archipelagic country, water security has been our country’s ongoing concern since the 1970s. The older population knows their water provider as National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA). NAWASA was a national agency tasked to attend to the water needs of the entire country. In 1972, the agency was renamed Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and was refocused on operating and maintaining the water and sewerage systems in Metro Manila.


Unfortunately, after two decades of operations, the agency suffered from a variety of issues such as poor service coverage, inefficient service, and highest water loss (Non-Revenue Water) in Asia. This led to the privatization of MWSS by the concessionaires Maynilad Water Services Inc. (MWSI) and Manila Water. These companies fought off the decades-long water crisis through massive system rehabilitation and the reduction of water losses throughout the metro’s waterworks system. From a loss of 60%, they were able to bring it down to the global average of 20-30%. Lower losses meant more water was available whenever cities and communities will turn on their faucets. 


This has been the solution until 2019 when climate change further aggravated the situation. All this time, the population and the industries in the country have been booming and our various water resources have been becoming more polluted. Couple this with hotter days and fewer, unpredictable rains, the problem eventually escalated into the 2019 water crisis where large parts of Metro Manila had zero water availability for two weeks. This crisis is but a glimpse of the looming water tragedy that we are bound to experience should we stay on our current course.
 

Reuse Water Systems

Anthroserv Inc. is a strong advocate of the UN’s sustainable development goals. The company contributes to this agenda by advancing SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation and SDG 14: Life Below Water.


Eighty percent of all water consumed (80%) is recoverable as wastewater. This makes wastewater a valuable resource as water becomes more expensive as the scarcity worsens. Water reuse is recycling treated wastewater for specific uses. The use ranges from a variety of potable (drinkable) and non-potable applications such as irrigation, water source recharge, cleaning, cooling tower fluid, et cetera. Multiple scientific journals and case studies on the economic, social, and environmental viability of water reuse are available and it is already widely done in some developed countries. 
 

The USA developed their own National Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP), a collaboration between industries, utilities, academe, and the government to incorporate water reuse in the portfolio of communities and organizations. This is foreseen to increase the overall resilience of their country against climate-induced impacts. Further, since 2004, the US has been active in developing guidelines for water reuse, setting different standards according to the foreseen usage of the water.


Singapore, a resource-scarce country, managed its water woes by applying the concept of a circular economy. Recycled wastewater is an integral part of the country’s water security and is relied on for 40% of the country’s water needs. 11 Similar to the US, Singapore stratifies its water reuse into potable and non-potable applications to optimize wastewater treatment requirements and investments.
 

In Anthroserv, we believe in doing our part and emulating these best practices to help accomplish the UN SDG goals eventually transform the country into a circular economy. Anthroserv built its first 100% water reuse plant in a food manufacturing plant in Valenzuela. The facility discharges around 10 cubic meters of water per day which is used by the owners as wash down water for trucks, gardening water, and water for general area cleaning. This allowed the company to save as much as 33,000 pesos per month. The plant has been operating for three years reaching approximately 1,188,000 pesos in water bill savings to date, recovering the costs of their additional water reuse system in less than 2 years. Because of the water reuse system, the company is insulated from rising water charges and is more resilient to sudden water outages in the area.
 

Sustainable solutions do not have to put a company’s bottom line at risk. True sustainability brings greater value to companies and the communities that they serve.

 

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