The Pangilinan-led company said it continues to build new facilities including additional pumping stations and reservoirs to improve the water supply system’s climate change resiliency and to create redundancies in the event of a disaster.
“We need to make these investments to enhance water reliability despite the threat of climate change, infrastructure limitations and the rising demand for water due to population growth and urbanization,” Maynilad president and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez said.
This year alone, Maynilad is spending P13.2 billion for its water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
Bulk or about P8.2 billion of this year’s capital expenditures will go to water infrastructure projects to ensure sufficient water supply and pressure in the West Zone.
The remaining amount will go to water infrastructure projects to ensure sufficient water supply and pressure in the West Zone, as well as improvement works in its water treatment plants, construction and upgrade of pumping stations and reservoirs, laying of primary pipelines for water service expansion, and enhancements of common purpose facilities.
Fernandez said the company’s La Mesa and Putatan water treatment plants are currently undergoing upgrades and retrofitting to enhance treatment capacities in the face of rising turbidity levels in the raw water sources.
“We are also looking into the application of advanced treatment technologies to harness other water sources, such as seawater and used water, given the urgency of meeting the water supply needs of a growing population,” he added.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the country in terms of customer base. It serves the areas of Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas, Malabon, and certain portions of Manila, Quezon City, Makati and Cavite.
Source: The Philippine Star | 7 June 2017
