More than a million Davaoeños now have better access to safe and reliable water supply following the operationalization of the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project or DCBWSP.

The project, powered by renewable energy sourced from its own run-of-river hydroelectric power plant, is the largest of its kind in the country at 300 million liters per day, or MLD, with a 70-kilometer pipeline.

A first in Southeast Asia

It was designed using the water-energy nexus concept — a first in Southeast Asia — where the water used to generate power is treated and supplied to DCWD’s water supply systems, creating an environmentally conscious and efficient water supply cycle.

The facility also boasts of a Department of Health-accredited laboratory for water quality analysis that is capable of conducting additional water test parameters to ensure high-quality potable water for customers.

The DCBWSP project has two vital components: Part A which entails the production and treatment of water supply led by Apo Agua, involving the construction of Raw Water Facilities, a Water Treatment Plant and Treated Water pipelines.

Part B, meanwhile, sees the distribution of water supply to consumers managed by DCWD.

Servicing DCWD as of December

Undertaken by Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc., a water subsidiary of Aboitiz InfraCapital, or AIC, the project began servicing the Davao City Water District, or DCWD, as early as December 2023. However, the company only announced it this week.

Apo Agua produces water for DCWD’s eight off-take points: Talandang, Calinan, Tugbok, Panacan, Cabantian, Panorama, Mandug and Indangan.

In a recently released joint statement with Apo Agua, DCWD announced that it had started supplying water last December to its Calinan, Tugbok, Riverside, Dumoy, Cabantian, and Panacan water supply systems.

Both parties have verified that the water quality meets the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water, the benchmark for water safety in the country.

“We are proud to mark this milestone of our Apo Agua team in partnership with the Davao City Water District to deliver safe, reliable, and sustainable water to the people of Davao. For Aboitiz InfraCapital, this achievement also underscores our commitment to advancing crucial infrastructure, building thriving ecosystems, and enhancing the quality of life in the communities we serve while being responsible stewards of the environment,” said AIC president and CEO Cosette Canilao.

Over the past decade, Davao City has transformed to become a hub of industry and activity.

The city government and the DCWD initiated the bulk water supply project to meet the exponential growth and water demands of the city, with former President Duterte leading the groundbreaking back in 2018 to officially kick off the project.