Angat Water District
History
Angat is a town located in the eastern part of Bulacan. The best iron mines in the Philippines are found here. The small amounts of irons are made into plow points and plowshares and bolos. These products made Angat known and proud. Another project that gives honor to this town is the Angat Water District.
Prior to the organization of the Angat Water District the water system in Angat was operated by the Municipal Government which was constructed in 1965 at a cost of P173,000.00. In 1987 the water system served the 3 barangays in the Poblacion for 2 hours each barangay. The water served was not yet potable. Later during the year Mayor Leonardo R. De Leon deemed it wise to organize the Angat Water District so that special attention could be given by those people who will be tasked to run it. On June 11, 1987 the Local Water Utilities Administration issued the Conditional Certificate of Conformance Number 292 to Angat Water District and the worn-out facilities of the Municipal Water System were turned over to the AWD. The district was classified under depressed Category with 250 water connections.
At the beginning the appointed General Managers come and go because of the very measly salary of P2, 000.00 a month as water districts receive no funding from the government and operates under the scheme of self-reliance.
Late 1990 the AWD had successfully secured the financial and technical assistance from the Local Water Utilities Administration for the construction of a new water system to replace the battered one. The management promised the water users of 10 hours of service instead of 2 hours upon completion of the project. After the completion of the new water system 24 hours of service were given and went the increase in water connections.
From then on new water systems in the different barangays were constructed by the AWD. Marungko in 1992; Niugan in 1993; construction of AWD building in 1992; Binagbag water system including part of Pulo, San Rafael, Bulacan in 1994; Donacion in 1996; Taboc in 1997; Sta. Lucia in 1998; support well in San Roque in 1998; Saudi in 2000; Support wells in Sulucan(1) in 1999, Marungko in 2000; and pumping Station in Sto. Niño, Sta. Cruz in 2002.
The AWD continues to grow and increase its service connections. An additional reservoir and support well were constructed in Tugatog, Marungko and Sulucan(2) in 2004, respectively. Pipe lines were later spread to two barangays - - Encanto and Pulong Yantok, both in 2007. Additional support wells were also constructed in Sulucan(3) in 2011 and in Donacion in 2014 to cope up with the concessionaires’ increasing demand for water.
Through the combined efforts and sacrifices of the personnel, AWD chosen by LWUA upon recommendation of the Philippine Associations of Water Districts, the Most Outstanding Water District in the Philippines (Average Category) in 1995.
In 1999 the AWD was also nominated for the Most Outstanding Award and almost got it. However, in 2001 it was awarded the second time around as the Most Outstanding Water District in the Philippines (Average Category).
In 2006 the AWD bagged the Outstanding Water District Award (Medium Category) Nationwide, and the Top Water District Performer Award (Medium Category) in 2007.
In 2014, the AWD started constructing additional wells in barangays Laog and Paltok to expand the district’s area of coverage to 100%.
From the 250 service connections under the depressed category in 1987, the district is now classified under Category C with 96% service coverage and 7,427 active connections.