Water concessionaires Manila Water Company and Maynilad Water Services Inc. laid out their expansion plans that will entail combined investments of P348 billion with the aim of improving their services and securing water supply.

East Zone concessionaire Manila Water is set to spend P181 billion from 2023 to 2027 in pursuit of its service improvement plan. This includes capital expenditure programs amounting to P105 billion for both its water and wastewater projects.

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On the other hand, West Zone concessionaire Maynilad plans to spend around P163 billion during the same period for infrastructure projects that will sustain service improvements in the face of challenges such as climate change and population growth.

Maynilad is allotting around P101 billion for water projects while the rest will be for wastewater projects. Its five-year service improvement plan seeks to enhance water security, environmental sustainability, service expansion and disaster resiliency.

Water security is at the forefront of Manila Water’s service improvement plan for the coming five years beginning 2023 to 2027. Included as other pillars in the plan are service continuity, service accessibility and environmental sustainability.

“These major pillars represent the projects that Manila Water will undertake to ensure continued water and wastewater services for the increasing population of the East Zone and Rizal Province which continues to grow at an annual rate of 2-3 percent,” said Manila Water President and CEO Jocot De Dios.

With climate change heavily impacting water source and supply, Manila Water has begun tapping Laguna Lake as an alternative source of water for its customers. It has completed the Cardona Water Treatment Plant, drawing water from the central portion of the lake, with a capacity of 100 million liters per day.

Construction of the Antipolo Water System is also underway with the Wawa Calawis Water Supply Project, Phase 1 of which will provide an initial 80 MLD and an additional 438 MLD expected to be completed in 2025.

Manila Water continues to coordinate closely with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage for the Sumag River Diversion Project and the Umiray-Angat Transbasin Rehabilitation Project which are designed to provide additional water to the Angat water system.

Regular rehabilitation of mainlines, installation of redundant water lines as well as the construction of emergency reservoirs across the concession will ensure that impacts of a big earthquake to water supply will be mitigated.

Programs designed to promote environmental sustainability include the construction of wastewater treatment facilities compliant with the new standards on biological nutrient removal as well as the laying of sewer networks to ensure that wastewater undergoes proper treatment before it is discharge back into receiving water bodies.

“Implementation of Manila Water’s service improvement plan will ensure that water supply for East Zone customers will continue to remain 24/7 and at the same time, adequate wastewater and sanitation services will be available for those residing in San Juan, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Taguig, Pateros, Marikina, portions of Quezon City and Manila as well as Rizal Province in the coming years,” De Dios said.

For his part, Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Randolph T. Estrellado said “A bulk of the investment will go toward developing more water sources, building more pumping stations and reservoirs, and replacing old pipelines so we can deliver more water supply in response to the growing demand.”

He noted that these projects are important because some customers in the West Zone have yet to be provided with 24-hour water service.

“Areas in the farthest points of our distribution network, which still have limited supply availability, stand to benefit the most once we complete the construction of additional water treatment plants,” Estrellado added.

Meanwhile, wastewater projects continue to be a priority. “We have already built 20 wastewater facilities since 2007, and we plan to build six more in the next five years so we can sustain sewer coverage expansion,” he saidd.

For the next rebasing period, Maynilad proposed an average tariff increase of P13.31 per cubic meter, which will be implemented in tranches over the next five years.

The company agreed with the MWSS Regulatory Office that the first tranche (i.e., P3.29/cu.m.) will only cover for inflation adjustments, with succeeding tranches contingent on actual service improvements.

“We think it’s fair that we first deliver on that commitment before the succeeding increases are implemented. But for 2023, we need to at least be allowed an inflationary adjustment because the cost for running our facilities, particularly the input costs of producing water, has already doubled, and we have not implemented any rate adjustment for the past four years,” said Estrellado.