Maynilad allots P17.2 B for capex

MANILA, Philippines - West zone water concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. (Maynilad) is investing P17.2 billion this year for water and wastewater projects, the company announced yesterday.

The amount is more than double its capital expenditure of P8.4 billion in 2012.

This will be Maynilad’s biggest annual capital investment since it was privatized in 1997.

Maynilad’s infrastructure budget will be funded by internally generated funds and the recently secured loan from the World  Bank.

Around P9.303 billion of the P17.2- billion capital investment will go to the construction of wastewater facilities in several areas of the West Zone, such as sewage treatment plants and conveyance systems for Valenzuela, Pasay and Muntinlupa.

Some P3.762 billion will be spent for the laying of new infrastructure (pipelines, pumping stations and reservoirs) that will provide potable water supply in unserved portions of North Caloocan, Valenzuela and Novaliches in Quezon City, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Imus, Kawit, Bacoor, and Cavite City.

Meanwhile, P2.134 billion has been allotted for Maynilad’s non-revenue water (NRW) reduction program, which covers meter and pressure management, active leakage control, primary line assessment, selective pipe replacement, and district metered area management.

Key company facilities such as pumping stations and reservoirs will be upgraded using a budget of P384 million, while P960  million will go to water source development.

The rest of the 2013 infrastructure budget will go to other initiatives such as the building of other facilities for operations support programs.

“The previous years have been about water service transformation. Now that we have improved and expanded our water services in the West Zone, our next challenge is to accelerate our sewerage and septage coverage. This will require a lot of resources but we are committed to doing our part in protecting the health of our customers and the environment,” said Maynilad  President and CEO Ricky P. Vargas.

As approved by 0the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), Maynilad raised it water rates beginning Jan. 1 in consideration of changes in inflation and foreign exchange rates.

The average all-in charge of Maynilad rose by 2.8 percent, equivalent to P1.26 per cubic meter (cu.m) for unsewered customers and P1.47 for sewered customers.