Davao residents are expected to benefit from a new and sustainable water source by the first quarter of 2023, with Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc. (Apo Agua) taking over and ramping up work on the P12-billion Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project (DCBWSP).
The DCBWSP, which is run by the Davao City Water District (DCWD), is the first program of its kind in the entire country. It is planned to adhere to the water-energy nexus idea, wherein renewable energy will be created through the use of a hydroelectric power plant that is integrated into the overall system. Because of this cutting-edge and historically significant construction project, the city of Davao will soon be able to draw water from the Tamugan river as well as the ground wells it uses at present.
During the pandemic, the DCBWSP suffered challenges that were exacerbated by internal contributing factors. Still, Apo Agua had to quickly step in and take control of the construction projects to make up for their effects.
"The project has begun construction throughout civil, mechanical, and electrical works in all regions, including road rehabilitation along the Treated Water Pipeline, in spite of ongoing challenges in the transition. These difficulties affect the transition as a whole. The past month has been devoted to the completion of the handover of the works from our former contractor, acquiring ownership of essential materials and equipment, and mobilizing important construction contractors on site, "said Apo Agua President Anna Lu.
Apo Agua has recruited a large number of seasoned contractors, and it is anticipated that work will be operating at full capacity by the end of the year 2022. "The timeline of the project has been compressed thanks to the recruitment of an experienced team of construction management professionals. In addition to this, a number of different contractors who have established track records in the construction of bulk water facilities and large-scale complicated projects have been hired in order to carry out as many tasks simultaneously as is practically possible, "Lu stated.
To further expedite the completion of the project and guarantee that the water quality is maintained, the testing and commissioning procedures will be carried out concurrently with the construction activities. It is necessary to perform exhaustive testing on each individual piece of machinery in order to guarantee its durability and longevity in the delivery of clean drinking water over the course of its anticipated operational life of approximately 30 years.
The DCBWSP will transport more than two-thirds of its production to DCWD reservoirs in the area, which will result in a large increase in the amount of water that is available for use in District II. If they consent to the proposal, it is anticipated that DCWD will begin receiving water deliveries in Tugbok around the first quarter of 2023. By the second quarter of 2023, it will be in Cabantian, Mandug, Calinan, Talandang, Indangan, Panacan, and Dumoy.
