West zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. recently completed a P380-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 company said in a statement yesterday 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 decades-old pipelines.
Maynilad said the project’s completion enabled it to recover approximately 4 million liters per day of treated water that was previously lost to pipe leaks and illegal connections.
This resulted in improved water pressure from 7 pounds per square inch (psi) to as high as 16 psi, benefitting more than 83,000 residents, it added.
At a 16-psi pressure, 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 Randolph Estrellado, Maynilad chief operating officer.
Maynilad aims to replace a total of 592 kilometers of deteriorated pipelines throughout its concession area within 2023 to 2027, in line with its goal of upgrading the infrastructure and minimizing water losses to better serve customers.
For this year alone, the company earmarked P4 billion for pipe replacement projects across its concession area, saying that around 92 percent of its water losses are due to leaks while the rest are due to illegal connections and inaccurate water metering.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base, serving the cities of Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon as well as the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario in Cavite province.
