Maynilad to increase water storage capacity by 28%

MANILA, Philippines — West zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. is set to increase its water storage capacity by 28 percent with the construction of four new reservoirs until 2026.

In a statement yesterday, Maynilad said it would add 211 million liters (ML) to its water-storage capacity by 2026 with its construction of four new reservoirs in different locations to improve supply availability and pressure for customers in elevated areas.

It said the construction of four new reservoirs until 2026 would bring its total combined water-storage capacity to 962 ML.

“With this increased storage capacity, Maynilad will have an additional 211 ML of potable water supply that is accessible at the distribution system level, ready for release during hours of peak demand,” the company said.

It added that the four new reservoirs are set to rise in Quezon City, Valenzuela, and Muntinlupa.

The reservoirs will entail an estimated investment cost of P2.8 billion that forms part of Maynilad’s P220-billion service enhancement program for the period of 2023 to 2027.

“Households in elevated areas are typically affected by low water pressure whenever the demand goes up,”Maynilad COO Randolph Estrellado said.

“Having more reservoirs will help to maintain supply availability despite strong water withdrawals from households in low-lying areas, so we’re building more of these storage facilities in strategic locations,” he said.

Currently, Maynilad has 37 operational reservoirs that can store 751 ML of treated water supply. This is up from only 10 reservoirs with 400 ML storage capacity after it rehabilitated 13 old reservoirs and constructed 14 new ones since 2007.

Aside from the construction of new reservoirs, the five-year service enhancement program also includes the laying of new pipelines, construction of additional pumping stations, replacement and repair of old pipes, construction of new sewage treatment plants, and rehabilitation of existing water and wastewater facilities, among others.

As part of the program, Maynilad unveiled last month the P11-billion Poblacion Water Treatment Plant in Muntinlupa City designed to process 150 million liters of drinking water per day (MLD) from Laguna Lake.

Maynilad said the project is a vital part of its plan to develop alternative sources of water to ensure long-term water security for its customers.

The facility will serve around one million Maynilad customers in Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, and Cavite.

Maynilad said the additional water supply would help minimize service interruptions due to raw water quality shifts in Laguna Lake that have been occurring with more frequency due to the effects of climate change.

The technologically advanced treatment plant uses a multi-stage process of dissolved air flotation, cloth filter, biological aerated filter, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and chlorination to ensure that the water from Laguna Lake passes the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water of the Department of Health.

Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the country 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.