Maynilad increases sewerage coverage

MANILA, Philippines — West zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. (Maynilad) has increased by 20 percent its sewerage coverage of its concession area as of end 2018 as it ramped up spending for this initiative.

In a statement over the weekend, Maynilad said it has invested about P23.3 billion to improve wastewater infrastructure and expand sewerage coverage in the west zone since the company’s re-privatization in 2007.

“This investment – which went into the construction of new wastewater treatment facilities and rehabilitation of existing ones, acquisition of new vacuum trucks for septic tank cleaning, and installation of new sewer lines, among others – enabled the company to increase sewerage coverage from only six percent in 2007 to 20 percent by end of 2018,” the company said.

Maynilad president and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez said increasing sewerage coverage requires a huge investment.

“Increasing sewerage coverage by just one percent requires an average investment of about P1.6 billion, so the level of investment to enhance the wastewater infrastructure is huge. Nevertheless, this is something we have to do to ensure environmental sustainability,” Fernandez said.

“We have a roadmap towards the attainment of 100 percent coverage by the end of the concession period, and we are working with our government partners to facilitate completion of our sewerage projects despite right-of-way conflicts, permit issuance delays, and lot acquisition issues,” Fernandez added.

Maynilad recently put up new sewage treatment plants in Pasay and Parañaque.

At present, the company operates 19 sewage treatment plants, two sewage and septage treatment plants, and one septage treatment plant with a combined treatment capacity of an estimated 662,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day.

The company said is also currently constructing additional wastewater treatment facilities in Valenzuela, Cavite City, and Tunasan and Cupang in Muntinupa.

“Once completed in 2020, Maynilad will be able to increase sewerage coverage in the West Zone to 26 percent. Meanwhile, areas that are not connected to Maynilad’s sewer network are being provided septic tank cleaning services,” Maynilad said.

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.