WATER SUPPLY MANAGEMENT AND WATER OPERATION SYSTEM

Water resource management is the activity of planning, developing, distributing and managing
the optimum use of water resources. It is a sub-set of water cycle management. Ideally, water
resource management planning has regard to all the competing demands for water and seeks
to allocate water on an equitable basis to satisfy all uses and demands. As with other resource
management, this is rarely possible in practice.
Water resource management is the activity of planning, developing, distributing and managing
the optimum use of water resources. It is a sub-set of water cycle management. Ideally, water
resource management planning has regard to all the competing demands for water and seeks
to allocate water on an equitable basis to satisfy all uses and demands. As with other resource
management, this is rarely possible in practice.
Water management is the activity of planning, developing, distributing and optimum use of
water resources under defined water polices and regulations. It includes: management of water
treatment of drinking water, industrial water, sewage or wastewater, management of water
resources, management of flood protection, management of irrigation, and management of the
water table.
This category has the following 4 subcategories
1. Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface
water from an area. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils is good enough to
prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic conditions that harm root growth), but many
soils need artificial drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies.

This category has the following 4 subcategories.

  Drainage canals
  Drainage basins
  Stormwater management
  Drainage tunnels 

2. Irrigation is an artificial application of water into soil for plant growth and survival,

in horticulture and agriculture.

3. Water conservation includes all the policies, strategies and activities

to sustainably manage the natural resource of fresh water, to protect the hydrosphere,
and to meet the current and future human demand. Population, household size, and
growth and affluence all affect how much water is used. Factors such as climate
change have increased pressures on natural water resources especially
 in manufacturing and agricultural irrigation. Many US cities have already implemented
policies aimed at water conservation, with much success.
The goals of water conservation efforts include:

Ensuring availability of water for future generations where the withdrawal of freshwater from

an ecosystem does not exceed its natural replacement rate.

Energy conservation as water pumping, delivery and wastewater treatment facilities consume a

significant amount of energy. In some regions of the world over 15% of total electricity
consumption is devoted to water management.

Habitat conservation where minimizing human water use helps to preserve freshwater

habitats for local wildlife and migrating waterfowl, but also water quality.

4. Water supply is the process of self-provision or provision by third parties in the water
industry, commonly a public utility, of water resources of various qualities to different
users.

Water supply is the process of providing water in a systematic way through installed pumps and
pipe lines. Before water is provided to a specific area, it undegoes a process called sanitation to
ensure that the quality of water received is safe for human consumption. The Philippines’ water
supply system dates back to 1946 after the country achieved its independence. Government
agencies, local institutions, non-government organizations, and other corporations are primarily
in charge in the operation and administration of water supply and sanitation inf the country.
Water Resources

The Ambuklao Dam and Hydeoelectric Power Plant in Bokod, Benguet, Philippines.
The Philippines’ main sources of water are rivers, lakes, river basins, and
groundwater reservoirs. The longest and largest river, Cagayan River, discharges approximately
53, 943 million cubic meters of water annually. Its groundwater reserves are 47, 895 million
cubic meters replenished by rainfall and seepage from rivers and lakes. The lakes are utilized
mainly for fish cultivation. The four major groundwater reservoirs are in Cagayan, Central
Luzon, Agusan, and Cotabato. There are 438 major dams and 423 smaller dams. Dams and
reservoirs are mainly used for: water storage, water supply, irrigation, regulation of flood, and
hydropower.
The Manila metropolitan area water is mostly supplied by the Angat Dam, Ipo Dam, and La
Mesa Dam (also known as Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system). Some of the well known and
larger dams in rural areas are: Ambuklao Dam, developed for flood control, irrigation,
and hydroelectric power source of Baguio and some places in Luzon; and Magat Dam, a major
source of irrigation water and hydroelectric power in Isabela.

Water Use
28.52 billion m³ of water was withdrawn from various sources in the Philippines in 2000: 74%
(21.10 billion m³) was used for agricultural purposes, 9% (2.57 billion m³) for industrial
processes, and 17% (4.85 billion m³) for domestic consumption.
Agricultural
Agricultural water management in the Philippines primarily focuses on the subject of irrigation.
The country has 3.126 million hectares of irrigable land, 50% (1.567 million hectares) of which
already has irrigation facilities. 50% of irrigated areas are developed and operated by the
government through the National Irrigation System (NIS). 36% is developed by the government
and operated by irrigators’ associations through the Communal Irrigation System, while the
remaining 14% is developed and operated by individual or small groups of farmers through a
Private Irrigation System (PIS).

Levels of water systems

According to a 2005 World Bank study, approximately 5,000 service providers exist in the
Philippines. Most of them only provide water, while sanitation is still expected to be a private
responsibility. The water infrastructure provided is classified into three levels.

The handpump is an example of a Level I water system.

Levels of water systems in the Philippines

 Stand-alone water points (e.g. handpumps, shallow wells, rainwater collectors)
Level I
serving an average of 15 households within a 250-meter distance

Level Piped water with a communal water point (e.g. borewell, spring system) serving an
II average of 4-6 households within a 25-meter distance

Level Piped water supply with a private water point (e.g. house connection) based on a
III daily water demand of more than 100 liters per person

Local Government Units

Most households in the Philippines are provided water by their Local Government Units (LGUs),
either directly through a city or municipal engineering department or through community-
based organizations (CBOs). CBOs involved in water supply include 200 cooperatives, 3,100
Barangay Water and Sanitation Associations (BWSAs) and 500 Rural Water Supply Associations
(RWSAs). CBOs usually operate Level I or Level II water supply systems with support from the
national government or non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In many cases, the CBOs later
convert Level I and II facilities into Level III supply systems.Typically, all LGU-operated
arrangements do not recover their full costs and rely heavily on local government subsidies.
Water Districts[

Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) Seal

A water district is a utility that is legally and financially separate from the municipality. In urban
areas outside of Metro Manila, water districts served around 15.3 million people from 861
municipalities in 2011. To form a water district, the local government needs confirmation from
the Local Waterworks and Utilities Administration (LWUA), a specialized lending institution for
provincial waterworks, from which it will receive technical assistance and financial support. The
local government appoints the board members of the water districts. This system typically has
better performance and higher cost recovery than water systems that are run directly by
municipalities. The Philippine Association of Water Districts (PAWD), fosters the exchange of
experiences between water districts and provides training to its members. In 2010, USAID and
the ADB agreed to support PAWD in establishing a national Water Operators Partnerships
(WOPs) program that promotes twinning partnerships among Water Districts.
Large-scale Private Operators

The zones of Metro Manila allocated to Maynilad Water (red) and Manila Water (blue).

In Metro Manila, water service has been carried out by two private concessionaires since 1997:
The Manila Water Company in the East Zone, and Maynilad Water Services, Inc. in the West
Zone. Although national government has supported private service providers since the 1990s,
there are few arrangements outside of Metro Manila. Joint ventures exist in Tagbilaran City and
in Subic Bay. These private water service providers provide Level III services together with
water districts.
Small-scale independent providers
A significant share of the population in urban areas receive services from small-scale
independent providers. It was estimated that before privatization in the late 1990s, 30% of the
population of Metro Manila depended on them, majority buying water in bulk from water
providers to sell it on to individual users. There are also some cases of cooperation by
concessionaires and independent providers. In August 2007, 250 small-scale providers formed
the National Water and Sanitation Association of the Philippines (NAWASA) as a gathering
avenue for small-scale water service providers.

Benchmarking of water utility models

Local Government Private

Water Districts
Units (LGU) Operators

Quality of supply Level I, II, and III Level III Level III

Availability (hours
19 23 22
per day)

Consumption (liters
112 120 144
per capita per day)

Staff (per 100

8 7 6
connections)

Tariff (Philippine
peso per cubic 7.60 17.82 15.37
meter)

National Water and

National Water and According to
Economic Regulation Resources Board
Resources Board (NWRB) contract
(NWRB)

Financing Public, NGOs, Tariffs Local Waterworks and Tariffs

 Utilities Administration
(LWUA), Tariffs

Water supply
In 2015, 92% of the total population had access to "at least basic water", or 94% in urban areas
and 90% in rural areas. In 2015, there were still 8 million people without access to "at least
basic water".The term "at least basic water" is a new term since 2016, and is related to the
previously used "improved water source".
In earlier years, according to the Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) report on March 2012, 43% of
the Philippines had access to Level III private water service providers in 2010. Access to an
improved water source increased from 84% in 1990 to 92% in 2012. However, there is a wide
inconsistency between the access to water of urban areas (61%) and rural areas (25%).
Although overall spending remained low, the national government has begun increasing
investments in sectors outside Metro Manila.
Sewage and Sanitation
In 2015, 74% of the total population had access to "improved" sanitation, or 78% in urban areas
and 71% in rural areas. In 2015, there were still 27 million without access to
"improved" sanitation.
In 2005 the situation was as follows: Only 5% of the total population was connected to a sewer
network.The vast majority used flush toilets connected to septic tanks. Since sludge treatment
and disposal facilities were rare, most effluents were discharged without treatment. Within the
entire country, septic tanks are the most common method of sewage treatment. In Metro
Manila alone, about 75 local companies provide tank-desludging services.
The first Philippine constructed wetland, serving about 700 households, was completed in 2006
in a peri-urban area of Bayawan City which has been used to resettle families that lived along
the coast in informal settlements and had no access to safe water supply and sanitation
facilities.[  In March 2008, Manila Water announced that a wastewater treatment plant was to
be constructed in Taguig.

 Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a

measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic
species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to
a set of standards against which compliance can be assessed. The most common
standards used to assess water quality relate to health of ecosystems, safety of human
contact and drinking water.
 The vast majority of surface water on the planet is neither potable nor toxic. This
remains true even if seawater in the oceans (which is too salty to drink) is not counted.
Another general perception of water quality is that of a simple property that tells
 whether water is polluted or not. In fact, water quality is a complex subject, in part
because water is a complex medium intrinsically tied to the ecology of the Earth.
Industrial and commercial activities (e.g. manufacturing, mining, construction,
transport) are a major cause of water pollution as are run off from agricultural areas,
urban runoff and discharge of treated and untreated sewage.
 The parameters for water quality are determined by the intended use. Work in the area
of water quality tends to be focused on water that is treated for human consumption,
industrial use, or in the environment.
 Contaminants that may be in untreated water include
• microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria;
• inorganic contaminants such as salt sand metals;
• organic chemical contaminants from industrial processes and petroleum use;
• pesticides and herbicides; and
• radioactive contaminants.

Water quality depends on the local geology and ecosystem, as well as human uses such as
sewage dispersion, industrial pollution, use of water bodies as a heat sink, and overuse
(which may lower the level of the water).

• A report prepared by the World Health Organization in cooperation with the World Bank
showed that in 1975, some 1230 million people were without safe water supplies. These
appalling facts were central to the United Nations decision to declare an International
Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation decade, beginning in 1981.
• A report prepared by the World Health Organization in cooperation with the World Bank
showed that in 1975, some 1230 million people were without safe water supplies. These
appalling facts were central to the United Nations decision to declare an International
Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation decade, beginning in 1981.

 SAFE AND WHOLESOME WATER

• Free from pathogenic agents.
• Free from harmful chemical substances.
• Pleasant to the taste i.e. free from color and odor
•Usable for domestic purposes.

 MAINTENANCE OF WATER QUALITY

• The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)limits the amounts of certain
contaminants in tap waterprovided by US public water systems. The Safe Drinking
Water Act authorizes EPA to issue two types of standards:
1. Primary standards regulate substances that potentially affect humanhealth, and
2. secondary standards prescribe aesthetic qualities,those that affect taste, odor, or
appearance.
• Some people use water purification technology to remove contaminants from the
municipal water supply they get in their homes, or from local pumps or bodies of water.
Water drawn directly from a stream, lake, or aquifer and has no treatment will be of
uncertain quality
 Water quality control
This surveillance contributes to the protection of public health by promoting
improvement of the quality, quantity, accessibility, coverage, affordability and
continuity of water supplies (known as service indicators).
 Regular testing of residual chlorine at consumer level.
 Regular collection of water samples and testing of water samples for E. coli or thermotolerant
bacteria and coliform count.
 Regular interaction with supplying agency.
 Monitor water borne diseases for early warning.
 Sanitary inspection - On-site inspection and evaluation by qualified individuals of all conditions,
devices, and practices in the water supply system that pose an actual danger to the health and
well being of the consumers.
 Water sampling and analysis Minimum level of analysis should include:
  Testing for indicators for faecal pollution.
  Turbidity
  Chlorine (residual)
  pH
 Location of sampling points Representative of the different sources from which water is
obtained by the public or enters the system. 
 ACCEPTABILTY ASPECTS
It is not normally appropriate to directly regulate or monitor substances of health concern
whose effects on the acceptability of water would normally lead to rejection of the water at
concentrations significantly lower than those of concern for health; rather, these substances
may be addressed through a general requirement that water be acceptable to the majority of
consumers.