West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) recently completed a Php380-million project to replace old and undersized pipelines in some parts of Tondo and Sta. Cruz in Manila, to improve water pressure and accommodate higher water demand in the city.
The project involved upgrading the pipe system, including the laying of 1.7 kilometers of primary, secondary and tertiary pipelines in 21 Manila barangays to replace the decades-old pipelines that have been in place even before the privatization of MWSS operations in 1997.
Following the project’s completion this year, Maynilad was able to recover approximately 4 million liters per day (MLD) of treated water that was previously lost to pipe leaks and illegal connections. This resulted in improved water pressure from 7 psi (pounds per square inch) to as high as 16 psi, benefitting more than 83,000 residents. At a 16-psi pressure, the water supply can reach the third storey of a structure without the aid of a booster pump.
“This recently completed pipe replacement project is part of our ongoing effort to enhance service reliability. By replacing undersized pipes, we are also future-proofing our distribution system to handle higher consumption,” said Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Randolph T. Estrellado.
Maynilad aims to replace a total of 592 kilometers of deteriorated pipelines throughout its concession area within the 2023 to 2027 period, in line with its goal of upgrading the infrastructure and minimizing water losses to better serve customers.
In 2024 alone, Maynilad earmarked Php4 billion for pipe replacement projects across the West Zone. Around 92% of water losses in the West Zone are due to leaks (physical losses) while the rest are losses due to illegal connections and inaccurate water metering (commercial losses).
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is a concessionaire of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of the cities of Manila (certain portions), Quezon City (certain portions), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province.
