West zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. has replaced 204 kilometers of old, leaky pipes in the first six months of 2017 as part of a program to upgrade the distribution system and reduce water losses.
Maynilad said the job brought the total length of pipes replaced within the company’s concession area to 1,913 kilometers, or 47 percent of the distribution system that the company inherited 10 years ago following the 2007 water re-privatization.
Maynilad this year allotted P2.87 billion to replace 300 kilometers of old pipes in several portions of its concession area. Pipe replacements as of June 30, 2017 were completed in Manila, Quezon City, Parañaque, Caloocan, Muntinlupa and Las Piñas.
The company said it plans to recover 70 million liters per day of potable water from its pipe replacement initiatives by the end of the year. The volume is enough to supply the water requirements of about 70,000 customers.
Maynilad expects to generate about 9,000 jobs from the pipe replacement projects this year.
“We have to sustain investments in the renewal of Maynilad’s distribution system, which is old and riddled with illegal connections. Through selective pipe replacement, we are able to do this in the most efficient way,” said Maynilad president and chief executive officer Ramoncito Fernandez.
Maynilad provides water and wastewater services to some portions of Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon in Metro Manila, the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario in Cavite province.
Maynilad has earmarked ₱11.7 billion for capital expenditure projects this year, including ₱8.3 billion for water infrastructure investments.