Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) was recently recognized by the Department of Health’s (DOH) Metro Manila Center for Health and Development for its Water Safety Plan (WSP). The Maynilad WSP details programs and procedures in ensuring the safety of water supplied to customers, and corrective actions in case of water contamination.
It bears hazard analyses, risk assessments, and control measures in containing or removing water contamination brought by disasters such as landslides, and security threats such as terrorist sabotage, among others.Â
The water company received the recognition after undergoing an intensive system audit by the WSP Review Committee composed of members from the DOH, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System-Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO), National Water Resources Board (NWRB), and members of the academe and water industry.Â
“Having a Water Safety Plan is important to ensure that risks along the water supply chain—from source, to treatment, to distribution—are properly addressed, especially during calamity episodes,†said Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Randolph T. Estrellado. “We thank our regulators for this formal recognition of our WSP.â€Â
Maynilad is a pioneer in the development of WSPs in the country, with its WSP being adopted by the World Health Organization as model in over 30 countries in the Western Pacific Region, and by the DOH as a reference for over 120 local water districts in the Philippines. Lauded by Australian Agency for International Development and the World Bank as one of the most comprehensive WSPs in the world, Maynilad’s WSP was previously honored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Water Association (IWA) as an excellent case study in providing safe drinking water by a water service provider to its customers.Â
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is the concessionaire of the 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.Â
PHOTO CAPTION: The Maynilad Water Safety Plan was officially given recognition by the DOH and MWSS-RO after rigorous audit of its comprehensive risk assessment programs to ensure the safety of water supplied to customers despite disasters. At the recognition rites were (from left) Engr. Joel A. Dominguez, MWSS-RO Water Quality Control manager; Dr. Ma. Paz P. Corrales, DOH Assistant Regional Director; Atty. Ernesto V. Perez, Director General of the Anti-Red Tape Authority; Greg R. Antonio, Maynilad Water Production head; Christine T. Bagsik, Maynilad Central Laboratory head; Atty. Roel S. Espiritu, Maynilad Corporate QESH head; Atty. Patrick Lester N. Ty, MWSS-RO Chief Regulator; Engr. Evelyn B. Agustin, MWSS-RO Deputy Administrator for Technical Regulation; and Dr. Corazon I. Flores, Director IV of DOH-NCR.