Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc. (Apo Agua) marked two milestones in September and October this year as part of the construction phase for the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project (DCBWSP) of Davao City Water District (DCWD).

One Million Safe Man-hours

Last September 25, J.V. Angeles Construction Corporation (JVACC), engineering, procurement, and construction contractor for the bulk water supply project, clocked in 1,000,000 safe man-hours without any lost-time incident. This is a significant event in the history of the project which now employs close to 500 laborers and skilled workers who are mostly from its host barangays Gumalang, Wines, Tawantawan, Tambobong, and Tamugan.

Tamugan River Diversion

DCWD, Apo Agua, and JVACC conducted a river diversion activity last October 5 at Brgy. Tawantawan. This diversion of the river water to a temporary channel is necessary to allow for the construction of the weir which is located along Tamugan River, the project’s water source. A weir is different from the traditional dams as it allows the water to flow through without obstruction and only diverts a portion of the water towards the project’s pipeline.

Pipe-Laying

Apo Agua is progressing with excavation and foundation works for its water treatment plant in Brgy. Gumalang and is estimated to start with its treated water pipe-laying works this month. “We will be working at multiple sites spanning 15 barangays [beginning October] up to January 2021,” Ones Almario, Apo Agua General Manager said. “This will be done in segments within the barangays so that work will be efficient and to effect as little inconvenience as possible on the part of the pedestrians and motorists,” he added.

During a project site tour last October 7, Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang said: “The Apo Agua and Water District deserve to be assisted in terms of moral support, in terms of understanding especially on some challenges on the road right of way, and of course traffic.” The 60-kilometer treated water pipeline will start from the water treatment facility in Brgy. Gumalang and end in DCWD’s five existing water systems namely, Dumoy, Calinan, Tugbok, Panacan, and Cabantian, as well as three additional new water systems at Talandang, Mandug, and Indangan.

We are coordinating with the 15 barangay councils, City Engineer’s Office, City Transport and Traffic Management Office, Department of Public Works and Highways Davao Region, and the Public Safety and Security Command Center, to ensure that traffic, security, and rescue protocols are in place.

We will also disseminate the pipe-laying schedule through our website and social media accounts so that the Davaoeños can plan their route ahead. We ask our fellow Davaoeños to bear with us through the inconveniences such as traffic, which may ensue as a result of these pipe-laying activities in the second and third districts of Davao City. All of these works are for the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project of DCWD which will benefit more than a million Davaoeños by the first half of 2021.

– Ones Almario, General Manager, Apo Agua

Apo Agua’s pipe-laying schedule will be available on its website at www.apoagua.com and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts through @apoaguainfra.