West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) has invested about P42 billion for water projects in the last five years to help address water security challenges in the West Zone.
During a Water Security Forum organized by the Environment Committee of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX), Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez said the company has been building new facilities such as additional pumping stations and reservoirs to improve the water supply system’s climate change resiliency and to create redundancies in the event of a disaster.
“We need to make these investments to enhance water reliability despite the threat of climate change, infrastructure limitations and the rising demand for water due to population growth and urbanization,†Fernandez noted.
He revealed that Maynilad’s La Mesa and Putatan Water Treatment Plants are currently undergoing upgrades and retrofitting to enhance treatment capacities in the face of rising turbidity levels in the raw water sources.
Maynilad is also looking into the application of advanced treatment technologies to harness other water sources, such as seawater and used water, given the urgency of meeting the water supply needs of a growing population.
Maynilad is working closely with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), which is facilitating the development of additional raw water sources for Metro Manila and adjacent areas.
“We are heartened by the MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco’s promise to balance the continued business viability of the concessionaires and the welfare of water consumers. As long as government and the private sector work hand-in-hand, we can overcome the challenges of water security,†Fernandez said.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is the agent and contractor 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.
PHOTO CAPTION: In a Water Security Forum sponsored by the FINEX Environment Committee, Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez said Maynilad has invested P42 billion for water projects in the last five years to help address water security challenges in the West Zone.