Excess water from South Road Properties can supply local water district

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Monday, June 18, 2007

Sun.Star

SOUTH Road Properties (SRP) plan to sell excess water from the Cebu City south reclamation area to the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD).

“If we have extra water we may sell it to MCWD,” said Joel Mari Yu, Cebu Investment Promotions Center (CIPC) managing director and in-charge of marketing the 300-hectare SRP.

Yu made the announcement following SRP’s acquisition of two water treatment facilities to supply water to its locators.

He said one treatment plant will recycle wastewater while the other one will convert seawater through desalination to produce potable water.

Water is not going to be a problem in SRP, Yu said. “We can sell water to MCWD if we need to,” he added.

Should the entire SRP be filled with locators, the area is projected to use some 20,000 to 25,000 cubic meters of water per day. Of the total demand, about 30 percent will be for potable water while other uses can tap recycled water.

Yu said this belie rumors that SRP is experiencing water problems.

Although he acknowledged that Cebu City is having water shortage concerns, “the case is different with SRP.”

“The whole of Cebu, the impression is, there is a water problem. But, investors do not have to worry about this because, there are already cheaper sources because of the advent of water technology,” Yu said.

With regard to Metro Cebu’s water problem, Yu said MCWD has to find other sources apart from the Carmen Bulk Water Supply Project proposed by the Ayala-led consortium.

“There are now other sources of water. Most companies right now are using recycled water technology, or desalination process to cut cost on water bills,” he said in an interview.

Yu cited Mactan Economic Zones 1 and 2 that source about 60 percent of their water requirement —except for drinking— from recycling facilities.

SM City Cebu is also using desalination for its water supply to cut its water bills.

Yu said cost of desalinated water has become competitive with conventional water supply. (MMM)