MANILA WATER TO SPEND P115B TO BUILD, RUN FACILITIES

LISTED Manila Water Co. Inc. is allotting P115 billion from 2018 to 2037 to construct and operate used-water treatment facilities within its concession area. The amount, the Ayala-led water provider said, adds to the “more than P33 million” it invested since signing on Feb. 21, 1997 a concession deal with state-run Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to supply water to residents of the eastern part of Metro Manila and of Rizal province. “With wastewater infrastructure investment of more than P33 billion for the past 20 years, Manila Water has put up 40 wastewater treatment facilities and a sewer network spanning 360 kilometers to ensure proper treatment of domestic wastewater and help reverse the moribund state of our river systems,” Manila Water President Ferdinand dela Cruz said in an MWSS statement on Monday. Manila Water expects to increase its sewerage coverage to 22 percent by 2022. It currently has 38 sewage and two septage treatment plants. Shares of Manila Water shed 20 centavos or 0.73 percent to close at P27.10 apiece on Tuesday.