Maynilad connects Villanueva Compound, Las Piñas two years ahead of schedule

AROUND 40 families at the Villanueva Compound in Pamplona 3, Las Piñas, didn't have to wait two years to get potable and reliable water supply.

Maynilad Water linked the subdivision to its network last July, sooner than originally planned in the water firm's five-year CAPEX program.

Late last year, the residents of Villanueva Compound went to Maynilad Cavite-Las Piñas Business Center to apply for water service connection, citing that there was already an existing mainline in the area laid in 2000.

“But when Maynilad inspected the area, they found that the pipes were substandard and were no longer in good condition,” Villanueva Compound president Jose Enrico Amparo said.

According to Maynilad's Cavite-Las Piñas BC Technical Management group head Orlando Tabula, test pits revealed that the existing pipe network was full of gaps and had no end caps, hence solid particles had intruded into the pipes over time.

“Using the existing lines would just create more problems and prove more costly for them. So we proposed that new lines should instead be laid for the 310 meters of roadways at an initial cost of P1,053,677.93 based on a Bulk Meter Scheme,” Tabula said.

Villanueva Compound was originally slated to be connected to Maynilad's surface water network in 2010, under the water concessionaire's five-year CAPEX program to attain 98% coverage and significantly improve service levels throughout the West Zone.

“But seeing that they were serious about getting water supply as soon as possible, we worked to come up with an affordable payment scheme for them,” Tabula said.

Maynilad decided to finance part of the amount just to jumpstart the pipelaying. After further negotiations, Maynilad was able to pare down the original cost to P621,946.02 with changes in sizes of pipes and deleting the cost of a Bulk Meter, Guarantee Deposit and others, since it was agreed that the community would be served under an Individual Meter Scheme. Homeowners shouldered the cost of the project aside from paying for their individual connections.

“The Homeowners were required to pay an initial down payment before work implementation. The balance was agreed to be settled after energization of the pipes, and the individual connection fee was to be paid in six monthly installments to be added to their billings starting from their first bill,” Tabula said, adding that the residents were charged P6,577.25 per individual water meter connection.

After receiving the down payment, the project was immediately awarded to a Maynilad contractor, who started the pipelaying and completed the project way ahead of schedule. As of July 15, 2008, clean and reliable water now flows through the new pipe network straight to the faucets of Villanueva Compound homes.

In a letter addressed to MWSS Administrator Diosdado Allado, VCHA president Amparo commended Maynilad for its earnestness in improving and expanding their water service to still uncovered areas in the West Zone.

“The management and engineering team of Maynilad's Cavite/LasPiñas Business Center have been exemplary in their works and shown devotion to their jobs. We ask for no less,” Amparo said.