Maynilad set to operate new water treatment plant by yearend

MANILA, Philippines — West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. (Maynilad) is on track to start partial operations of its P11-billion Poblacion Water Treatment Plant by yearend as it commenced testing and commissioning this month to ensure delivery of additional potable water in its concession area.

In a statement, Maynilad said the construction of the Poblacion Water Treatment Plant has reached 80 percent completion.

The company has started the gradual commissioning of the plant to ensure that it can produce an initial 50 million liters per day (MLD) of potable water by December.

Designed to produce 150 MLD at full capacity, the Poblacion Water Treatment Plant will improve water pressure and supply availability for Maynilad customers in Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa and Cavite.

Maynilad said this facility would enhance service reliability, as it would provide additional supply for customers in the south so their water service would not be affected despite raw water quality shifts in Laguna Lake, which have been occurring with more frequency due to climate change effects.

Full operation of the Poblacion Water Treatment Plant is targeted by the first half of 2024.

At present, Maynilad has two treatment plants in Barangay Putatan, Muntinlupa, that draw water from Laguna Lake and produce a combined 300 MLD of water supply for around 1.7 million customers in the south.

Once it starts partial operations, the Poblacion Water Treatment Plant will be Maynilad’s third facility to get raw water from the same source.

The Poblacion facility is one of the mitigating measures of Maynilad to boost water supply and to prevent supply interruptions in its concession area, especially with the looming El Niño.

Other measures include intensifying water recovery through Maynilad’s non-revenue water (NRW) program, reactivating 45 deep wells, and improvement of operation in the Putatan water treatment plants.

Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base.

It is the concessionaire 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.