BBWI Opens Sum-ag Plant to Boost Bacolod Water

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – Bacolod Bulk Water Inc. (BBWI), a subsidiary of Tubig Pilipinas Group Inc., has officially launched its new Sum-ag Water Treatment Plant in Barangay Abo-Abo, Murcia, Negros Occidental, marking a key step in strengthening Bacolod’s water infrastructure.

BBWI Chief Operating Officer Mark Roxas led a media tour of the facility on Thursday to demonstrate the treatment and filtration process of water drawn from the Sum-ag River.

Roxas said the new plant, with a capacity of 25 million liters per day (MLD), is part of BBWI’s Phase 2 bulk water project, completed in March, and can serve up to 25,000 households daily with clean, safe water.

Equipped with fully automated systems and 36 real-time water quality monitoring instruments, the Sum-ag plant represents a major upgrade from BBWI’s original 2017 facility sourcing from the Ngalan River.

Roxas credited the success of the project to strong partnerships with the Bacolod City government and the municipal government of Murcia.

As of May 8, the facility was delivering five MLD, though daily output may vary depending on river water levels, Roxas said.

The plant is in its two-month commissioning phase, which will end later this month.

The facility supports BBWI’s contract with PrimeWater signed in June 2024 for Injection Point 2, which aims to meet Bacolod’s water demand of 85 MLD by adding 10 MLD in the first year and gradually increasing to 25 MLD by the fifth year.

Under this agreement, Phase 2 will improve water supply in southern Bacolod, including Barangays Mansilingan, Handumanan, Felisa, Alijis, Tangub, Taculing, Pahanocoy, Sum-ag, and Singcang Airport.

Roxas said BBWI sells water from the new plant to PrimeWater at PHP10 per cubic meter.

Although only 10 MLD is contractually required this year, BBWI has opted to invest ahead of demand and aims to supply up to 50 MLD by July 2025.

To reduce reliance on a single river source, BBWI has begun Phase 3—a 4-kilometer pipeline project that will tap into the Caliban River in Murcia.

Once completed, the new source is expected to boost total output to 40 to 50 MLD, increasing system reliability and supply stability.

“This project is for the people of Bacolod,” Roxas said, adding that the plant delivers water that exceeds required quality standards.

BBWI invested PHP1.5 billion for Phase 2 and its expansion in Murcia.

Roxas said BBWI is prepared to expand through the Caliban River if PrimeWater or other buyers require more than 25 MLD, noting that the source is not exclusive to PrimeWater.

“If PrimeWater wants to buy it, they can,” Roxas said. “If others want to buy it, we can sell it too.”

The Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) has been sourcing water from BBWI since 2017 when Phase 1 was completed.

BBWI’s Ngalan River facility in Barangay Granada, with a capacity of 25 MLD, sells water at PHP8 per cubic meter.

Since 2017, BBWI has provided an annual average of 15 to 18 MLD to Bacolod residents under Phase 1.

The announcement followed a statement from Baciwa-PrimeWater that about 5,000 households would benefit from improved water supply after the recent activation of the Matab-ang Water Treatment Plant in Barangay Granada.

Residents of Barangays 27, 28, 30, Estefania, Villamonte, and Mandalagan are expected to benefit from an additional 3 MLD of water supply.