MAYNILAD Water Services, Inc. is allocating P2.7 billion to address water losses in Manila caused by aging pipelines and illegal connections, the company announced on Thursday.
About P2.4 billion has been allotted for pipe replacement projects, while P151 million will be used for leak repairs, the company said in a statement.
The remaining P190 million will go towards network diagnostics and leak detection, among other activities.
“It is in Manila City where the oldest section of the pipe network that we inherited from the government is located. To reduce water losses in this area, we have already replaced 701 kilometers of old pipes since 2007,” Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Randolph T. Estrellado said.
He said that the local government has assisted with the issuance of permits and the management of traffic for the pipe replacement and leak repairs project.
According to Maynilad, the P2.7-billion allocation for the city is part of the P16.5-billion NRW (non-revenue water) Management Program of Maynilad for 2023 to 2027, which aims to further reduce water losses in the west zone that it serves.
NRW refers to water that is not billed and is lost through leaks or illegal connections.
Earlier this year, Maynilad announced plans to construct reservoirs worth P2.8 billion, adding 211 million liters of water to its storage capacity by 2026.
The four reservoirs will be constructed in Quezon City, Valenzuela, and Muntinlupa.
Maynilad serves Manila, except portions of San Andres and Sta. Ana. It also operates in Quezon City, Makati, Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas, and Malabon.
Additionally, it supplies water to the cities of Cavite, Bacoor, and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario, all located in Cavite province.
Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which has a majority stake in Maynilad, is one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
