Two water concessionaires at the National Capital Region (NCR) and its nearby provinces have vowed to bring in more improvement in their services in 2023 and to ensure safe, clean, and potable water to millions of their customers amid the impact of climate change and the growing population.
West zone Maynilad Water Services Inc. plans to spend P163 billion in 2023 until 2027 for infrastructure projects, of which P101 billion would be allotted for water projects.
Its service improvement plan aims to enhance water security, environmental sustainability, service expansion and disaster resiliency.
“A bulk of the investment will go toward developing more water sources, building more pumping stations and reservoirs and replacing old pipelines so we can deliver more water supply in response to the growing demand,” chief operating officer Randolph Estrellado said.
“We have already built 20 wastewater facilities since 2007, and we plan to build six more in the next five years so we can sustain sewer coverage expansion,” he added.
The water firm is also allocating P9.9 billion to replace 639 kilometers of old and leaky pipes in the cities Manila, Parañaque, Pasay, Muntinlupa and Las Piñas from 2023 until 2027 to upgrade the distribution system and lower water losses.
“Our goal is to provide 100% of our concession area with 24-hour supply at appropriate water pressure,” Estrellado said.
East zone Manila Water Co. Inc. is assuring its 7.4 million customers of safe and potable water 24/7 due to the water company’s meticulous regular sampling in the year 2022.
Its Sustainability head Sarah Bergado said Manila Water is contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on Climate Action and the Paris Agreement through the company’s climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives.
Manila Water has completed over 750 “Tubig Para Sa Barangay” projects benefiting almost two million consumers from the urban poor communities, including informal settlers and low-income households, as of Oct. 27.