Oro water firm launches project to reduce leaks

THE Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) will launch today the Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Reduction Program in an effort to reduce leaks to an acceptable level so that water produced would reach the taps, and can be utilized rather than put to waste.

Ladelle Sagrado, COWD spokesperson, said the program is made possible through an $800-thousand grant from the United States Agency for International Development (Usaid) through its Be Secure Project and Coca Cola Foundation Philippines.

Sagrado said the grant, which would be in the form of technical assistance for NRW Reduction Strategy and Implementation, would enable COWD to develop, manage, maintain and update its own Geographic Information System (GIS) data base, carry out hydraulic modelling as well as design and form  district metered areas (DMAs).

In order to do this, she said, a survey on all facilities and customers within the focus areas would be conducted to update existing records.

“The cooperation of the water consumers on these surveys is greatly needed to come up with accurate data.  Water meters will also be tagged. During the course of the implementation, excavations and some pipe-laying may also be conducted,” reads a COWD statement.

Project implementation was awarded to Miya, a global leader in optimizing urban water efficiency, and it is expected to be completed by 2017.

By then, COWD is expected to continue the establishment of DMAs and implement the required improvements and make use of the various SOPs/manuals for NRW Management, said Sagrado.

“It is hoped that NRW, which is largely due to physical and commercial losses will decrease to an acceptable level so that water produced will reach the taps and can be utilized rather than put to waste. Better management of NRW would mean improved water pressure, more water available for use and increased revenues for COWD that would redound to better quality service for the water consumers,” reads part of the COWD statement.

Expected to grace the launch today are Dani Newcomb, Division Director of the Office of Environment, Energy and Climate Change of Usaid Philippines; Mona Grieser, Chief of Party of Usaid Water Security for Resilient Economic Growth and Stability (Be Secure) Project; Cecilia Alcantara, President of the Coca Cola Foundation Philippines, and  Ma. Catalina Cabral, Undersecretary for Planning and PPP of the Department of Public Works and Highways, among others.