West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) has invested over P41 billion to improve and expand wastewater services since the privatization of MWSS operations in 1997.
This P41-billion investment went toward the construction of 19 new wastewater treatment facilities and upgrade of three existing ones, purchase of 89 new vacuum trucks for septic tank cleaning, installation of 180 kilometers of new sewer lines, and maintenance of the sewerage system, among others. It also includes the construction of four additional Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) that are currently being built in Valenzuela, Las Piñas, and Tunasan and Cupang in Muntinupa.
Through it, Maynilad was able to expand sewerage services to some 2 million people by end of 2019—up from only around 600,000 people served with sewerage services in 1997 when MWSS operations were first privatized.
“Maynilad only got out of corporate rehabilitation in 2008, so we had just 11 years to work on expanding wastewater services. Despite this, we have managed to build new wastewater facilities that now prevent untreated effluents from polluting our waterways. This is where all the bill payments of our customers go,†said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.
Among Maynilad’s recently completed STPs are those in Pasay and Parañaque, bringing the total combined sewage treatment capacity of its 22 wastewater facilities to 664,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day.
The company is set to spend P200 billion more to continue expansion of the wastewater infrastructure until 100% sewerage coverage in the West Zone is attained by 2037. This amount includes the P1.1 billion committed cost to rehabilitate five esteros in Manila that drain out to Manila Bay. Meanwhile, areas that are not yet connected to Maynilad’s sewerage system are provided septic tank cleaning services.
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.
PHOTO CAPTION: Maynilad’s new sewage treatment plant in Parañaque City.