ABOITIZ-LED Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc. is preparing the construction of a weir, or a water impounding facility, along with the excavation works for the treated water tank at the water treatment plant, which it has started to build as part of the Davao City bulk water supply project.
“Laying of raw water pipelines is targeted to start in August,” the company said in a statement during the weekend.
It said construction works are underway for “Part A” of the water supply project, which involves the construction of intake facilities, a water treatment facility and treated water pipelines.
Apo Agua began its three-year construction phase with engineering design works in 2018 and aims to start operations by the first half of 2021.
Early this year, the company through J.V. Angeles Construction Corp. — its engineering, procurement, and construction contractor — began construction of the intake and water treatment facilities.
The major works are the rehabilitation of the access road to the weir site in Brgy. Tawantawan and site preparations of the water treatment plant site in Brgy. Gumalang, Baguio District, Davao City.
“Apo Agua is also taking steps to ensure the protection and conservation of the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed — Davao City’s next source of water. The company adopted 50 hectares of land in the watershed through the Davao City Water District’s Adopt-A-Site Project for the rehabilitation of this water source,” the company said.
Apo Agua said it is working with the Davao City Watershed Management Council on an integrated watershed management plan for the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed.
Late last year, Apo Agua signed an omnibus notes facility and security agreement with a consortium of lender-banks for a P9-billion loan to fund the bulk water facility and a 2.5-megawatt hydro-electric power plant.
The company signed the loan deal to finance the development, engineering, design, procurement, construction, installation, testing, commissioning, operation and maintenance of a water treatment facility with a capacity of 347 million liters per day (MLD).
Aside from the facility, which will supply treated bulk water to Davao City Water District, the loan will also be used to finance the integrated hydro-electric power plant. The loan was signed on Nov. 29, 2018. — Victor V. Saulon
