BORACAY Island Water Co., Inc. said it invested more than P4.32 billion in capital expenditures for its water and wastewater facilities to ensure environmental sustainability and water security.
The company, also known as Boracay Water, said it developed a 25-year plan to sustainably serve the water requirements of Boracay Island, as it is a major tourist hotspot.
“Boracay Water made sure that safe and reliable water supply is available in the island and at the same time, ensured proper wastewater management in the island’s Manocmanoc, Balabag, and Yapak barangays, including the white beach’s popular commercial stations 1, 2, and 3,” the company said in a statement on Monday.
Boracay Water, a public-private partnership between the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority and Manila Water Company, Inc.’s fully owned subsidiary, Manila Water Philippine Ventures, Inc. began its operations in 2010.
In 2015, it implemented projects to increase water availability, providing 100% of Boracay Water’s customers 24/7 supply, from a previous availability of 13 hours or less since its inception.
The company also worked on the rehabilitation of the water treatment plant in Caticlan with a capacity of 25 million liters per day (MLD), the one-kilometer submarine water pipeline along the Caticlan-Boracay channel, repairs and replacement of old networks, expansion of piping systems, and the rehabilitation and construction of pumping stations and booster pumps.
Apart from water supply, Boracay Water said it began upgrading and expanding its wastewater facilities to address the deterioration in coastal water quality.
It rehabilitated the Balabag sewage treatment plant and sewer network, which initially provided wastewater services to 22% of the island. In 2011, the rehabilitation of the facility was completed, doubling treatment capacity to 6.5 MLD from 2.6.
In 2016, the company inaugurated its second wastewater facility, the Manocmanoc sewage treatment plant, which can process 5 MLD.
According to Boracay Water, the island’s sewer coverage is at 61% and is projected to further expand to 87% by 2024 after future upgrades.
With the easing of mobility restrictions, Boracay Water said it would continue to “invest and expand its infrastructure in the island to ensure availability of clean, safe, reliable water supply as well as to safeguard the environment with the provision of enhanced wastewater and sanitation services.” — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson