West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) has spent almost P14 billion in capital expenditure (Capex) projects to expand sewerage coverage in the West Zone since the company’s re-privatization in 2007.
This investment went into the construction of 15 new Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), one Sewage and Septage Treatment Plant, and one Septage Treatment Plant; rehabilitation of existing wastewater facilities, acquisition of new vacuum trucks for septic tank cleaning, and installation of 27.5 kilometers of new sewer lines, among others.
“When new Maynilad management first took over the West concession in 2007, sewerage coverage was only at 6%, and there were only two operating STPs at the time,” said Maynilad’s Wastewater Management head, Engr. Antonio Garcia. “We have since expanded coverage to 16% as of June 2018. Much still needs to be done, and we are doing our best to facilitate completion of our sewerage projects despite right-of-way conflicts, permit issuance delays, and lot acquisition issues.”
Also currently under construction are additional Maynilad STPs in Pasay, Parañaque, Valenzuela, Cavite City, and Tunasan and Cupang in Muntinupa. Once completed in 2020, Maynilad will be able to increase sewerage coverage in the West Zone to 26%.
Maynilad aims to attain 100% sewerage coverage by the end of the concession period in 2037. Meanwhile, areas that are not connected to Maynilad’s sewer network are being provided septic tank cleaning services. “We urge our customers to avail of this service every five to seven years, because it is essential to protect community health and the environment,” said Garcia.
For this year alone, Maynilad has allotted almost P1.7 billion for wastewater projects to maintain the reliability of the wastewater network and sustain operations.
“It is a challenge for us to facilitate the completion of wastewater projects, given the impact to traffic of laying new conveyance systems. Nonetheless, these projects are important so we can catch harmful effluents before discharge to the environment. We need the support of local government and the communities to accelerate sewerage coverage expansion,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.
Maynilad currently operates 17 STPs, two Sewage and Septage Treatment Plants, and one Septage Treatment Plant with a combined treatment capacity of an estimated 542,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is the agent and contractor 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.
