Capitol’s Bulk Water Project Faces ‘Challenge’ on Rates

The P1.2-billion Negros Occidental Bulk Water Supply Project (NBWSP) “faces a little bit of challenge”, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz II, provincial administrator, said, referring to the tariffs that are being asked.

“We are also looking at ways forward to meet the gap of our local water districts and the offer of the bidder,” he pointed out.

Diaz said the expectation was P14 per cubic meter but the bidder offered P24 per cubic meter.

“That is a challenge for us to bridge the gap and to resolve the issue and make it acceptable to our constituents,” he said.

Diaz said that they are still reviewing the technical and other financial documents. “We want to clarify certain matters.”

Diaz also said that Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has issued a memorandum setting the timetable of the project to May this year.

He said that the project will tap the Malogo and Embang rivers.

The Malogo River in E. B. Magalona is the priority of the bidder because that is where the bulk of the unsubscribed water is located.

The winning bidder is the consortium composed of First Balfour Inc., Victorias Milling Co., and FPIP Utilities Inc.

First Balfour Inc. is part of the Lopez Group of Companies.

Under the project, the winning bidder will enter into a contractual joint venture with the provincial government to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain a bulk water supply system with a minimum capacity of 34.5 million liters per day to be sourced from the Imbang River and/or the Malogo River.

The treated bulk water will be supplied to six water service providers in the cities of Silay, Talisay, Victorias and Bacolod, as well as the municipalities of E. B. Magalona and Manapla.

The bulk water project aims to address the problem of a potable water shortage in Negros Occidental.*