MAYNILAD Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) has allotted P4 billion to reduce the company’s water loss or nonrevenue water (NRW), up by 25% from its P3.2 billion capital expenditure (capex) last year.
“We are accelerating our NRW Management projects this year so that we can recover more water supply for distribution to customers, in preparation for El Niño,” said Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Randolph T. Estrellado.
NRW refers to water that is not billed and is lost through leaks or illegal connections.
Maynilad said that as part of its water loss reduction initiatives, it was able to recover around 47 million liters per day (MLD) of water in the first quarter of this year alone.
The water company said that this volume can supply the water requirements of about 241,000 individuals.
Maynilad’s water loss reduction initiatives include the replacement of 31 kilometers of old pipelines and the repair of 7,832 pipe leaks in Quezon City, Manila, Muntinlupa, and Las Piñas.
The company has also conducted a major leak repair along Osmeña Highway corner Zobel Roxas St. in Makati City, resulting in the recovery of 17 MLD.
Maynilad, a concessionaire of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, serves the cities of 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.
It serves the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario 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. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
