Maynilad is stepping up its operations and fast tracking key projects to manage the effects of El Nino on its concession area’s water supply.
A week after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued a directive suspending for 60 days all regulations restricting leak repair operations in Metro Manila, Maynilad increased its teams of deployed engineers and contractors from 30 to over 90. The intensified operations will enable Maynilad to recover around 40 million liters per day (MLD) of water, which can help offset the reductions in its raw water supply due to El Nino.
Maynilad is likewise sparing no effort in completing its Putatan Water Treatment Plant, which is scheduled to produce an initial 50 million liters of water per day (MLD) by May. The state-of-the-art treatment plant uses a multi-stage process of Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF), Microfiltration, Reverse Osmosis and Chlorination to ensure that the water from Laguna Lake passes the Department of Health (DOH)-issued Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water (PNSDW).
The West Zone concessionaire is also working on the commissioning of its new Villamor pumping station by April. The Villamor facility has a reservoir that can store up to 10 million liters of water. It also has the capacity to pump water to the high areas in the southern portion of Maynilad’s concession area. In effect, the company can store water during off-peak hours and then pump the supply when customer demand is higher.
Maynilad serves over 7 million customers in Metro Manila and parts of Cavite. Its concession area includes the cities of Manila (all but portions of San Andres & Sta Ana), Quezon City (west of San Juan River, West Avenue, EDSA, Congressional, Mindanao Avenue, the northern part starting from the Districts of the Holy Spirit & Batasan Hills), Makati (west of South Super Hi-way), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon all in Metro Manila, and the municipalities of Bacoor, Imus, Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario in Cavite Province.