Boracay's water supply assured with new P126-M submarine pipeline

A P126-million submarine water pipeline now supplies Boracay, the Philippines’ leading tourism island paradise, with water from the town of Malay in Aklan province on Panay Island.   “As the premier tourist destination in the country, we need to ensure that the basic services such as water and wastewater services for the locals as well as tourists are well-provided,” Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez said at the inauguration of the pipeline that augments the water supply carried by the other pipeline, which is 13 years old.   The Boracay Island Water Company (BIWC), a subsidiary of Manila Water Company, has said that 24-hour water availability to the tourism island’s population stands at 96 percent.   Water pressure has also increased from an average of 15 pounds per square inch to 30 PSI, according to the subsidiary of the East Zone concessionaire of Metro Manila.   “I salute the partnership between Boracay Water, the local government and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) for turning things around and making things happen here in Boracay,” Jimenez also said.   As to wasterwater treatment, coverage is expected to hit 52 percent by the end of 2012.   “The upgrading of the island’s sewage treatment plant also ensured that the treated wastewater being flushed back into natural waters is within environmental compliance standards keeping the beaches pristine,” the Department of Tourism said in a statement. — ELR, GMA News