Billions of pesos lost to old water pipes

Maynilad Water Services Inc. is losing money daily due to old water pipes that have not been replaced or upgraded since World War II.

The exact amount of losses was not given but Maynilad said it had serious cash flow problems amounting to P4.8 billion in March alone. Non-revenue water accounted for about one-third of losses.

The source of the problem has been traced to the West Zone water and sewerage network that consists of 2,000 kilometers of unsorted and unverified pipes – many of which are old and no longer serviceable. Parts of the network were installed after World War II and have not been changed since then.

Leakage accounts for 21 percent of non-revenue water in this area, while illegal connections account for 14 percent. Another 14 percent are due to unidentified water losses.

Maynilad’s West Zone has 7.5 million potential customers but only 5.6 million are being served because of this problem. The area covers Valenzuela, Navotas, Malabon, Caloocan, parts of Manila and Quezon City, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Bacoor, Imus, Kawit and other parts of Cavite.

Considering the health implications of this matter, consumers may turn to water refilling stations that have mushroomed in every neighborhood. Unfortunately, that may be a bad idea since most of them don’t sell safe water.

This warning was made by Henry Hidell, an adviser to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), who said that water refilling stations "don’t necessarily maintain quality standards."

It’s easy to see why. Under the law, water refilling stations are not required to secure a license to operate (LTO) from the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) since they simply fill up empty bottles. So what will prevent them from putting what they like in your bottle?

Secondly, most refilling stations violate the Sanitation Code (PD 856) that requires them to be 25 meters away from sources of pollution and floods. Most are located in old houses or buildings while some even share space with laundromats.

Hidell said the government should closely monitor water refilling stations to protect the interests of consumers. Another alternative, he said, is to buy bottled water that carries the IBWA seal.

Unlike water refilling stations, IBWA members are required to follow strict technical requirements and comply with good manufacturing practices in accordance with standards set by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This assures consumers of safe and pure water.