West zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. said over the weekend it took active steps to manage the impact of the algal bloom episode in Laguna Lake on water production.
Laguna Lake is the primary raw water source of the company’s Putatan Water Treatment Plants.
The water firm ordered the immediate dosing of treatment chemicals to control algal build-up, the utilization of a silt curtain to minimize algae intrusion into Maynilad’s treatment facilities and an immediate clean-up of the dissolved air flotation treatment process of the PWTPs.
It said that as a medium and long-term intervention to address the raw water quality issues in Laguna Lake, the company would dredge the portion of the lake encompassed by its silt curtain and install several units of ultrasonic algae control equipment around the PWTPs.
A similar algal bloom in Laguna Lake in June 2019 also affected Maynilad’s water production. The firm noted that the maximum algal biocount, that time, reached 13,230 counts per milliliter.
The company said that while it invested in additional treatment technology to address algae proliferation, it was still constrained to reduce production, as the algal biocount in June this year reached an unprecedented peak of 72,722 counts/mL.
Algal blooms arise from shifts in the nutrient balance of the lake water resulting from chemical, industrial and agricultural wastes or leachates.
Maynilad said while it was pouring investments into treatment technology upgrades and interventions, its water production would continue to be affected unless more drastic measures were taken to protect Laguna Lake.
The company said it was working closely with the lake’s various stakeholders to ensure the lake’s sustainability as a source for drinking water.