Davao City to draw drinking water from river in protected watershed

October 3, 2018

DAVAO CITY – Residents of this city would soon get their drinking water from a river inside a protected watershed north of the city.

The Davao City Water District and the Aboitiz-owned Apo-Agua Infrastura Inc. said preparations are on track to achieve this by 2021.

In her State of the City Address on Tuesday, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said: " On the project’s construction of its 6.8-hectare facility in Barangay Gumalang, we have been informed that priority employment will be given to the residents from the main impact barangays of the project and this will be a great opportunity to the residents therein.”

Duterte added, “this project will allow the shift of Davao City’s main water supply source from ground water to surface water and will ensure the long-term security of Davao City’s water supply for the present and future generations”.

The target date for the new intake facilities, a water treatment facility and treated water pipelines is mid-2021, she said.

The Apo Agua Infrustura Inc. would undertake the bulk water supply extraction from the Tamugan River inside the Talomo-Lipadas watershed north of here. The DCWD would construct the water treatment plants.

The bulk water project involves the extraction of the waters of Tamugan River for the potable water need of the city’s 1.7 million population to enable the DCWD to shut down its extraction of water from its underground aquifer to avoid environmental risks of soil subsidence and salt water intrusion into the water table.

A 2.4-megawatt mini-hydroelectric plant would be constructed near the treatment plant to supply the power requirement of all the facilities of Apo Agua and DCWD.

The Apo Agua expects to generate 109.5 million cubic meters of water in one year, or an equivalent of 300 million liters per day, said Cirilo Almario III, general manager of the Apo Agua, in a previous interview. DMS