The Metropolitan Tuguegarao Water District (MTWD) is investing on a Surface Water Treatment Plant to ensure sufficient supply of potable water for Tuguegarao City. The treatment plant which will be located in Barangay Caggay, Tuguegarao City will source water from the Pinacanauan River. Water extracted from the river will undergo a conventional water treatment including coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and chlorination to ensure its compliance to Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water.

Clean water produced by the facility will be pumped to the steel bolted tank in Alimannao, Penablanca, Cagayan which supplies water to northeastern barangays of the City. At present, water in the Alimannao reservoir is supplied by two production facilities in Parabba and three spring sources in San Roque, namely Dabba spring, Vunnung spring and Mangga spring. The production facility in Parabba includes 2-ground water well, 2-chambers sump tank, booster pump system, break chamber and transmission main lines. This current setup could only deliver a limited 72 liters per second supply at the reservoir. The SWTP output of 30 million liters per day will significantly improve the existing supply to meet the demands of the city and the envisioned development of the Cagayan Gateway project.

Prior to the development of the water treatment plant, the MTWD is currently implementing the construction of a 211-meter access road connecting the project site to the national highway. This 10-meter wide road will be used by vehicles and heavy equipment during the construction of the treatment plant. The road will also provide access during the delivery of treatment and filtration equipment as well as to facilitate transport of supplies and consumable requirements of the project. After the completion of the access road, there will be a ground breaking ceremony to mark the inception of the full implementation of MTWD’s first surface water source development after almost a 5-decade exploration and use of ground water sources.

The continuing environmental and social safeguards were observed by MTWD in the implementation of the project. Any issues or concerns pertaining to its implementation such as but not limited to disturbance, hazards, and threats may be brought before the MTWD.

Also. necessary permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources were acquired prior to the cutting of trees along the access road. Public information dissemination was conducted through a public scoping co-organized by MTWD and DENR.