West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) recently completed the replacement of a total of 224 kilometers of old, leaky, and undersized pipelines in Caloocan City.
The P829-million pipe replacement project, which started in 2019, involved the total replacement of primary, secondary and tertiary pipelines in 20 Caloocan barangays. Some of these pipes are mostly 70 years old—installed even before the privatization of MWSS operations—and have already sprung leaks that cause low water pressure in the area.
Maynilad had to conduct the pipe replacement in measured phases over the course of several years so it could manage impact on traffic. This project has led to gradual improvement in water availability and pressure in the city, and also enabled Maynilad to recover approximately six million liters per day (MLD) of water.
The newly laid pipes were also wider in diameter, thus accommodating the higher water demand in the area with its now significantly bigger population.
“We actually aim to replace a total of 244 kilometers of old pipelines in Caloocan City, so the 224 kilometers of pipes replaced brings us to 92% of our target. Simultaneously, we are also conducting pipe replacements in other cities where water loss is high. In this way, we can accelerate volume recovery and boost available supply for distribution during El Niño,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.
Maynilad has allocated P11 billion for pipe replacement projects from 2023 to 2027, to be done in various portions of its concession area. The company is replacing a total of 477.2 kilometers of old, leaky pipes within the period, in line with its program to upgrade the distribution system and reduce water losses.
Since the water company’s re-privatization in 2007, it has already replaced around 3,188 kilometers of old pipes—about the same length as the distance between Manila and Tokyo in Japan.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is the concessionaire of the MWSS for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of the cities of Manila (all but portions of San Andres & Sta. Ana), Quezon City (west of San Juan River, West Avenue, EDSA, Congressional, Mindanao Avenue, the northern part starting from the Districts of the Holy Spirit & Batasan Hills), 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.