West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) has spent more than 179 million pesos to acquire 19 new vacuum truck units (VTUs) that will help boost its septage collection. 

The 19 newly acquired 10-cubic meter capacity VTUs can clean around 190 septic tanks per day, and will reinforce Maynilad’s delivery of sanitation services for customers who are not yet connected to the sewer network

In 2019, Maynilad was able to clean more than 147,900 septic tanks and treat nearly 233 million liters of septage. The septage that it collects is brought to the water company’s Septage Treatment Facilities for processing and treatment. Its by-product is then transported to a processing plant so it can be converted to organic fertilizer. 

“The purchase of these trucks will help Maynilad accomplish its sanitation targets, which we strive to meet despite the restrictions brought on by the pandemic. We are appealing to our customers to have their septic tanks desludged because not doing so will result in serious environmental, health, and safety risks to their family and community,” Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Randolph T. Estrellado said. 

Maynilad’s wastewater infrastructure network currently includes 19 Sewage Treatment Plants, two joint Sewage and Septage Treatment Plants, and one Septage Treatment Plant, with a combined treatment capacity of an estimated 664,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day.