Maynilad spends nearly billion for pipe replacement works in 2016

West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) spent nearly R2 billion for pipe replacement alone in 2016, bringing the total length of pipes replaced within its concession area to 1,709 kilometers — about the same distance from Manila to Hanoi, Vietnam — since the company’s reprivatization in 2007.

In 2016 alone, the company replaced a total of 196 kilometers of old pipes, which had cost as much as R1.85 billion.

The old pipelines rehabilitated last year were located mostly in Quezon City, Manila and Bacoor City, where “pipe age” ranged from 30 to 40 years.

The pipe replacement projects done in 2016 allowed Maynilad to recover some 48 million liters per day (MLD) of potable water, which is enough to supply about 79,736 households.

“We have to continue investing in the rehabilitation of our water distribution system, since we inherited the oldest pipe network in Asia,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.

“Pipe replacement projects are a vital component of our Non-Revenue Water Management Program, which aims to reduce water losses and make our services more efficient," he added.

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.