UTILITY firm Manila Water Co. Inc. (MWCI) said it expects the P721.5-million Southeast transmission water main project to improve supply in three cities in Metro Manila and several towns in Rizal as it becomes operational by the first quarter of 2012.

The company said the project will address the increasing supply requirement in the eastern part of Manila Water’s concession that is currently being supplied by the main line. The said line is already operating at almost twice its safe design capacity to meet the current demand in the expansion areas. 

The areas include Marikina, Pasig, Taguig and parts of Rizal province up to as Rodriguez in the north and Binangonan in the south. 

“The project, targeted for completion and will be fully operational in 2012, will convey 400 million liters per day of clean water to benefit more than 200,000 residents from more than 40,000 households,” said Alexander Leonardo, project delivery manager, in a statement. 

The project is divided into three parts, including the laying of almost 10 kilometers of large diameter steel pipes from the Balara treatment plant in Quezon City which will cross the intersection of Marcos Highway and traverse the stretch of Imelda Avenue up to Ortigas Extension in Cainta. 

MWCI noted that construction started in June 2010. Around 70 percent of the entire stretch of the project have been completed.