Water Resilience in Metro Manilla
Organisation: Arup
Clients: Maynilad Water Services, Inc.
La Mesa Treatment Plant 1, built in the 1980s, is the largest water treatment facility in the Philippines, serving over six million people with a capacity of 1,500 million liters per day. It faces seasonal challenges with raw water turbidity, sometimes reaching levels ten times above its design limit.
Design Capacity:
1.5Ml/d
Serving 6M people
Peak turbidity reaching 10x design limits
Upgrades and Improvements
- Process Enhancements: Lamella settlers were added to sedimentation basins to improve turbidity treatment.
- Sludge System: A risk-based approach was used to expand sludge handling, ensuring readiness during peak turbidity events.
- Water Recovery: Systems were upgraded to recycle filter backwash and other waste streams, reducing water loss.
- Structural Retrofit: Buildings and basins were reinforced to withstand stronger earthquakes, minimizing downtime risk.
Sustainability
- Renewable Energy: Solar panels were installed above sedimentation basins to reduce reliance on grid electricity and make use of unused space.