The Philippine government will open bidding this month under its public-private partnership (PPP) programme for two water-related infrastructure projects.

Invitations to bid for the water projects is expected to be published this month.

The two projects to be tendered are the New Centennial Water Supply Source and the Bulacan bulk water supply project.

The New Centennial Water Supply Source project is part of long-running efforts by the government to find and develop a secondary water source to the Angat Dam in Bulacan, which supplies 97 percent of Metro Manila's needs. The project value is estimated at US$1 billion.

The New Centennial Water Supply Source project is expected to supply an additional 1,800 million liters a day (MLD) and add to Angat's existing 4,000 MLD capacity. The project involves the realization of one or two greenfield dam developments and associated infrastructure to further expand the Metro Manila's water sources. At full completion, the project is targeted to add a capacity of at least 1,800 million liters per day, but this will be achieved in stages.

The project is likely to comprise the following components: Laiban Dam and/or Kaliwa Low Dam; head works and its appurtenant facilities; conveyance structure from the diversion point to the water treatment facility(s); water treatment facility(s); hydropower facility(s).

The Bulacan bulk water supply project is a 30-year contract to build and operate facilities for treated bulk water in Bulacan, north of Manila. The total investment is estimated at P24.4 billion (US$554.7 million).  This bulk water supply project shall reduce groundwater extraction and use of deep wells in the province, which are currently being discouraged due to adverse environmental impact.

The project involves the following: construction of treated water transmission mains, including line appurtenances from the water treatment plants, (WTPs) to the agreed delivery/interconnection points of the municipalities; construction of WTPs and ancillary facilities; construction of treated water reservoirs; construction of pumping stations; installation of flow metering devices after the WTPs, pumping stations, transmission branch points and at the agreed delivery/interconnection points; and installation of appropriate pressure monitoring stations.

The contracts could be awarded in the first half of next year.