DAVAO CITY — Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc., a joint venture between Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. and JV Angeles Construction Corp., is on track to complete the P12.6-billion bulk water supply project for Davao City by the first half of 2021.

Apo Agua General Manager Cirilo C. Almario said the venture is now preparing to start laying the 55-kilometer raw water pipeline going to the reservoir of the Davao City Water District (DCWD)by August.

“I hope by June 2021, basically everything will have to end around that time… It is a multi-project, we have the water treatment plant, pipelines. Sabay sabay gagawin ito lahat at matatapos (All these will be constructed at the same time and done by the) first half of 2021,” Mr. Almario said at the Connect media forum on Friday.

The project, which will source water from the Tamugan River, will also have a small hydro-electric plant to power the water treatment facility.

Apo Agua broke ground for the project in November and started construction early this year for the intake and water treatment facilities.

Once operational, Apo Agua will deliver 300 million liters per day (MLD) to DCWD as provided under their bulk water supply agreement.

DCWD Deputy Spokesperson Jovana Cresta T. Duhaylungsod, meanwhile, said that its own P2-billion pipe laying project to improve and expand the distribution system, which started in 2015, is more than halfway done in sub-project terms.

Ms. Duhaylungsod said out of the 32 projects, 20 are completed.

DCWD currently takes in 300 MLD from groundwater sources.

Once Apo Agua starts delivering water, DCWD intends to stop tapping ground water and maintain these sources as back-up. — Maya M. Padillo

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