Pandan Water District Ultrafiltration Treatment Plant, first in the Philippines

Deputy Speaker and Antique Lone District Representative Loren Legarda is proud that her hometown, Pandan, is the first to have a water ultrafiltration treatment plant in the Philippines.

“Access to clean and potable water is one of the basic rights of our people. Having safe water means securing the health of our people. With the country’s high vulnerability to climate change, pollution and increased demand for water supply, the quality of water is very important and requires urgent protection,” Legarda said.

Legarda supported the allocation for the construction of the ultrafiltration system in Malumpati, Pandan and for the watershed development program in the municipality under the budget of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) for fiscal year 2018. As the first ultrafiltration system project, this will be a model project that will be replicated by other water districts.

“The Pandan Water District Water Quality Project is the first Ultrafiltration System among all water districts in the Philippines which is capable of filtering particles as small as 0.03micron. With the increased tourism activities in our only water source in Malumpati, this project will ensure that Pandananons will continue to have safe drinking water. This will also serve as a benchmark for all filtration projects in other water districts and water providers in the Philippines,” said Mr. Aldwin Alojipan, General Manager of Pandan Water District.

Inaugurated in September 2019, the Ultrafiltration System Project is designed to filter turbidity and bacteria such as coliform or e-coli and pathogens like viruses, which will turn tap water from Pandan Water District as clean and purified as the commercial bottled-water for the benefit of all households being served by the water district. The ultrafiltration system also has water-testing equipment for testing presence of e-coli, chlorine, iron, manganese and aluminum in the water.

Moreover, as part of the watershed development program, more than 12,000 bamboo and indigenous trees were planted to help maintain the watershed of the Malumpati pumping station as well as help the reforestation of the Malumpati Tourist Area and parts of the Pandan Arboretum.

Legarda also cited that the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that in 2015, 1.8 billion people had to use contaminated source of drinking water, putting them at risk of contracting cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio. In 2019, according to the United Nations, 12% of world population drinks water from unsafe sources.[1]

“Water is a basic need yet often times, its value is being taken for granted. Strengthening our water security through programs like the ultrafiltration system and watershed development is a vital move to address water security challenges. Water security is not only about the provision of sufficient water; it is also assuring that we maintain healthy ecosystems and resilience against water-related disasters common to a vulnerable country like ours so that we can ensure a clean, safe and potable water for all,” Legarda concluded.#

[1] https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/