New desalination plant: 11 Cebu City barangays to benefit from it
Residents of central and southern Cebu City can expect a more stable water supply now that desalinated seawater from a private plant in Mambaling is available in the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) system. | Photo by Minerva Gerodias/MCWD
CEBU CITY, Philippines –The new desalination plant in Mambaling, Cebu City, has come as a relief to residents of 11 barangays as it promises a “more reliable” water supply across central and southern Cebu City.
The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) integrated the new desalination plant into its system, which is expected to help address the water shortage.
On July 30, MCWD board chairman Jose Daluz III, General Manager Edgar Donoso, and officials from Pilipinas Water Resources Inc. (PWRI) inspected the plant’s injection point and tested the water pressure.
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The water quality met all standards set by MCWD’s Water Quality Laboratory. This ensures safe consumption for residents. After disinfection and pipeline flushing, approximately 10,000 cubic meters of desalinated water will be introduced into the MCWD system.
This new desalination plant is set to improve water service for the barangays of Mambaling, Duljo-Fatima, Basak San Nicolas, Sawang Calero, Pasil, Ermita, Kalubihan, Carbon, Sto. Niño, San Roque, and Tinago.
In April of this year, at least 50,000 households in Metro Cebu experienced water shortages due to a deficit in water supply. This water crisis was worsened by months of the El Niño phenomenon, which led to widespread drought and affected several water resources.
25-year contract
The agreement between MCWD and PWRI, signed in February 2023, entails a 25-year contract for the delivery of desalinated water.
Initially, PWRI will provide 10,000 cubic meters per day, with plans to increase this amount to 25,000 cubic meters daily after the first 19 months.
The Mambaling desalination plant is the second facility augmenting MCWD’s water supply.
Earlier this year, in May, PWRI began supplying water from its Opao, Mandaue City facility under a similar 25-year contract, delivering 25,000 cubic meters per day.
Additionally, MCWD is preparing to acquire 20,000 cubic meters of desalinated seawater from a new plant operated by Vivant Hydrocore Holdings Inc. (VHHI) and Watermatic Philippines in Cordova.
This plant, now operational, will soon provide 5,000 cubic meters per day, enhancing water self-sufficiency for Cordova and Mactan Island and reducing their dependence on mainland Cebu’s water resources.
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