Status of Water

Infrastructure in the
Philippines

Asst. Director-General RUBEN S. REINOSO, JR.

National Economic and Development Authority
 Introduction
The Philippines has abundant water resources

¾ 421 major river basins in 119 proclaimed

watersheds, and 61 major lakes accumulating
an average of 2,400 mm of rain runoff annually
¾ 50,000 km2 of groundwater reservoirs
¾ Surface water supply aggregate of 833 MCM per
day
¾ Internal renewable water resource of 479 billion
m3 per year
¾ Annual per capita availability of 1,907 m3
 Introduction
Water resources under mounting stress

¾ Rapid population growth

¾ Increasing demand for food production
¾ Urbanization
¾ Pollution
¾ Excessive and inefficient use of water
¾ Climate change
 Introduction
Infrastructure development has not kept up with
the growing needs of the economy and the
population
¾ 20% of the population do not have adequate and sustained access
to potable water (MTPDP)
¾ 50% of the population does not have access to safe drinking water
(2004 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey)
¾ Sewerage service coverage
Metro Manila – 11%
Urban areas outside Metro Manila – 3%
 Water Resources Development
Policy
¾ Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP)
2004-2010

- Provision of potable water to the entire country by 2010, through

public and private investment
- Priority given to 212 waterless areas in Metro Manila and 633
waterless municipalities outside Metro Manila

¾ 1976 Philippine Water Code

- provided the legal framework for the ownership, appropriation,
exploitation, development, conservation and protection of water
resources in the country
 Water Resources Development
Policy
¾ Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004
- provided for the comprehensive water quality
management in the country

¾ Executive Order (EO) 279

- provided for the rationalization of financing of the water
supply and sanitation sector
 Water Service Provision
¾ Metro Manila and adjacent provinces
- Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System
(MWSS) and Concessionaires

¾ Urban areas outside Metro Manila

- Water districts formed at the option of the local
government unit (LGU)
- Private sector/joint ventures
 Water Service Provision
¾ Rural areas
- LGUs, Barangay water service associations
(BWSAs), rural water supply associations
(RWSAs), cooperatives, small scale independent
providers (SSIPs)

¾ Some households employ their own shallow well

and/or deep well
 Water Service Provision
¾ As of 2005,there are more than 6,000 Water
Service Providers (WSPs)
Type of Provider Estimated Number
Water Districts 580[1]
Local Government Units 1,000
RWSAs 500
BWSAs 3,100
Cooperatives 200
Private 900
TOTAL 6,280

[1] 127 were considered non-operational.

 Status of Water Infrastructure
MWSS System

¾ Oldest such system in Asia (constructed in 1878)

¾ Initial operation: Delivery of 16 MLD to 300,000 people

Current operation: Supply to over 12.56 million people
¾ Main water source: Angat River
¾ Flows impounded in a 36-billion liter facility in
Novaliches, Quezon City
¾ Final raw storage at the La Mesa reservoir
 Status of Water Infrastructure
MWSS System

¾ Treatment at the 2 Balara Plants (1,600 MLD capacity)

or at the 2 La Mesa Plants (2,400 MLD capacity)
¾ MWSS Central Distribution System (CDS): 12,000 kms
of distribution pipes, 16 reservoirs, and 18 pump stations
¾ Groundwater from 258 MWSS-owned deep wells and
3,000 privately owned wells to serve fringe areas not
connected to the CDS
LA MESA TREATMENT
PLANT NO. 1
 Status of Water Infrastructure
MWSS System

¾ 90% of Metro Manila’s population served by individual

septic tanks

¾ 11% connected to MWSS’s sewerage system covering a

service area of 1,800 hectares
- 1 wastewater treatment plant
- 7 lift stations
- 1 pump station
- 390 kms sewer pipelines
 Status of Water Infrastructure
Water Districts (WDs)

¾ Follow technical and customer standards set by LWUA

(PD 198)

¾ Provide Level III Water Supply systems within their

franchise areas
z Level III system is a system with a source, reservoir, piped
distribution system, and individual household taps. It should
provide at least 100 liters/capita/day

¾ As of 2007, WDs provide services to 24.1% of the

population
 Status of Water Infrastructure
Rural Water Systems

¾ Provide some Level III and mostly Levels I and II

systems
z Level I system is a protected well or developed spring without a
distribution system, normally serving 15 households. The
farthest user should be at most 250 meters from the point
source. It should provide at least 20 liters/capita/day.
z Level II system is composed of a source, reservoir, piped
distribution network, and 2 or more communal faucets, with each
faucet serving 4-6 households. Farthest house should not be
more than 25 meters away the communal faucet system. It
should provide at least 60 liters/capita/day.
 Status of Water Infrastructure
Rural Water Systems

¾ Usually, Water Fees are not collected, especially those

run by the Local Government Units (LGUs), or these are
not set at appropriate levels to ensure sustainability of
operations

¾ As of 2007, 21.6% of rural households had access to

Level I and Level II systems