West zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. (Maynilad) said it is intensifying its wastewater management this rainy season to help prevent sewer overflows and support flood mitigation.
“As floodwaters sweep debris into drainage systems, interceptor boxes can easily get blocked, leading to overflows,” said Maynilad wastewater management head Zmel Grabillo.
Interceptor boxes, located at the end of drainage lines, are designed to divert wastewater into Maynilad’s system for proper treatment.
Although Maynilad’s wastewater operations are ongoing throughout the year, the company said it deploys additional teams and ramps up inspections and declogging during the wet months, when the risk of blockages and overflows increases significantly.
These efforts are particularly crucial in areas with combined or hybrid sewer systems, where stormwater and wastewater share the same lines.
Maynilad said that as of June 2025, it has cleaned over 285 kilometers of sewer lines and cleared more than 3,500 sewer manholes.
