REPAIR. Pipe repair works on a portion of the Carpenters Bridge in Barangay Tabucan, Mandurriao District in Iloilo City on Wednesday (Jan. 16, 2024). The rehabilitation will ensure a reliable water supply amid the El Niño phenomenon and reduce water losses. (PNA photo by PGLena)
ILOILO CITY – Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) is targeting to complete the rehabilitation of its primary pipeline at the Carpenters Bridge in Barangay Tabucan, Mandurriao District this month or February to ensure reliable water supply amid the El Niño phenomenon and reduce its water losses.
MPIW chief operating officer Robert Cabiles, in a statement after visiting the project site on Wednesday, said their assessment in 2023 found significant problems, including “several pipes that are already in an advanced state of distress requiring immediate repair to prevent further losses and water quality issues.”
“The complete assessment found that the pipe still meets the 150 psi (pounds per square inch) test pressure,” he said.
The 150-lineal meter pipeline delivers water to 4,700 customers in the districts of Molo, Arevalo, and City Proper.
With an allocation of PHP15 million, the firm used the Tyfo Fibrwrap Pipe (TFP) rehabilitation system for the external and structural rehab of the 37-year-old, 600-millimeter pipe, guaranteeing continuous water supply service during the repair period.
The retrofitting has three layers, with glass fiber for the first layer and carbon fibers for the second and third layers.
The rehabilitation system can help extend the service life of the pipeline for a minimum of 50 years, like the concrete and steel structures.
“We want to recover more water for our customers at the soonest possible time without causing interruption to our customers, property, and environment, so we are constantly on the lookout for technologies and innovations that will allow us to do this,” Cabiles said. (PNA)
