West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) plugged 27,628 pipe leaks in 2015, bringing its total leak repairs to 279,719 since its re-privatization in 2007. The recently repaired leaks were located mostly in Caloocan, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Parañaque, Muntinlupa, Las Piňas and Cavite.
This year, Maynilad set aside P260 million for its leak repair operations to further bring down water losses or Non-Revenue Water (NRW). As of December 2015, average NRW in the West Zone has reached an all-time low of 31%, compared to 66% in 2007 before new owners took over Maynilad operations.
“We still have a long way to go before we reach the internationally accepted optimal NRW level of 20%. Nevertheless, a reduction of 35% points from 2007 is a huge accomplishment—one that we intend to sustain through our aggressive investments in pipe rehabilitation,†said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.
Also a major component of Maynilad’s NRW Reduction Program is the replacement of old pipelines. From 2007, Maynilad already replaced a total of 1,520 kilometers of pipes in different areas of the West Zone. The company inherited the oldest pipes in Asia, some dating back to Spanish times.
For 2016, Maynilad is investing over ₱2 billion for its NRW management program, which includes selective pipe replacement, leak detection and repair, network diagnostics, and replacement of old water meters.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is the agent and contractor 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.