West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. has completed a P380-million project replacing old and undersized pipes in some parts of Manila and boosting the delivery of services across the city.
The project required upgrades in the pipe system, including the laying of 1.7 kilometers of pipelines in 21 Manila barangays to replace decades-old ones.
Maynilad said the completion enables the company to recover some four million liters of treated water a day previously lost to pipe leaks and illegal connections.
The completion also boosted water pressure from 7 pounds per square inch (psi) to as high as 16 psi, benefitting more than 83,000 city residents.
At 16-psi, water may be delivered three storeys high without need of a booster pump.
“This recently completed pipe replacement project is part of ongoing efforts to enhance service reliability. By replacing undersized pipes, we are also future-proofing our distribution system to handle higher consumption,” said Randolph Estrellado, Maynilad chief operating officer.
Maynilad plans replacing 592 kilometers of deteriorated pipes throughout its concession area within four years from 2023 in keeping with its goal of upgrading the infrastructure and minimizing water losses to better serve customers.
This year alone, Maynilad set aside P4 billion for pipe replacement.
Around 92 percent of its water losses are blamed on leaks and the rest to illegal connections and inaccurate water meter reading.
Maynilad is the largest private water concession in the Philippines serving the cities of Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon, Cavite, Bacoor, Imus and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario in Cavite Province.
