De Nora Water Technologies, Inc. is partnering with a local Japanese engineering company, JFE Engineering, to upgrade the biggest water purification plant in the Philippines, which supplies water to approximately six million people in Metropolitan Manila.
The upgrade at the La Mesa water treatment plant will help to increase the plant’s quality and enable it to achieve a sustainable supply of water even during high turbidity events, ensuring optimal operational efficiency.
As part of the upgrade, De Nora will supply TETRA™ LP Block™ dual parallel lateral filter underdrain blocks for 24 filter cells. The upgrade will enable help the plant keep up with rising demand for domestic water and to ensure the works can effectively handle high flow events as experienced during heavy rains.
The filter underdrains ensure that air and/or water is distributed evenly across the entire filter floor during the backwash cycle. This helps to not only remove solids effectively but also lowers the volume of backwash water produced, thereby reducing operating.
Mr Vincenzo Palma, De Nora Regional Sales Director – Asia Pacific said, “De Nora is renowned for leading industry innovation in water treatment and developing unique solutions for our customers’ needs. This project in the Philippines is a great example of us working with our partners to deliver solutions that provide people with access to a safe and sustainable supply of clean water.”
Mr Palma added, “Our filter underdrains are both easy to maintain and have a long life, but more importantly, they also provide excellent distribution of backwash air and water. This in turn reduces the use of water and air required to clean the filter media, which ultimately reduces operating costs for our clients – key benefits that help save costs and the protect the environment.”
This project is among a few that De Nora has been involved with in the Philippines. De Nora TETRA™ LP Block™ underdrains are also being used at the Balara water facility in Quezon City to optimize operational performance and to ensure that the growing population in the east of Philippines have access to a clean source of drinking water.
With the water treatment market in Asia estimated to continue growing at about five per cent a year to meet the higher living standards in emerging economies, there is an increasing opportunity for the TETRA™ LP Block™ underdrains to be used in the upgrade of other water treatment facilities.
Mr. Palma said, “We are excited to provide our clients with solutions to help them operate more efficiently and effectively for the benefit of the larger population. With our expertise and proven track record in water treatment solutions, we are focused on continuing to play a leading role in the industry.”
