Razon-led Manila Water Co. Inc. reported that it has kept non-revenue water (NRW) below 15 percent for the first half of the year.
In a statement on Friday, Aug. 30, the East Zone concessionaire said that system losses—water lost due to leaks and illegal connections—averaged at 13.57 percent as of June 2024.
In June alone, Manila Water's NRW improved to 12.94 percent from 13.92 percent in the same month last year.
Manila Water’s NRW average is well lower than the World Bank’s standard of 25 percent and is among the lowest in Asia.
“Having a robust network monitoring system coupled with a competent quick response team and strong community engagement are some of the best tools the company has in combating water loss,” Manila Water’s Corporate Communication Affairs Group Director Jeric Sevilla said.
“We appreciate customers reporting leaks, illegal connections, and meter theft and tampering. These are valuable customer initiatives that help the company keep system losses at manageable levels,” he added.
In the first six months of 2024, Manila Water said it fixed 198 mainline ruptures, completing all repairs within 24 hours to minimize customer impact and reduce water waste.
Additionally, maintenance checks and urgent repairs are typically scheduled for nighttime to reduce disruptions and inconvenience for customers during their daily routines.
The East Zone water and wastewater service provider currently oversees 5,486.87 kilometers of water network in its concession area.
Managing the distribution involves performing regular preventive maintenance, clamping down on unauthorized connections and meter tampering, and promptly fixing any breakages.
Lower NRW means more water to be distributed to more customers. An improvement of just one percent means an additional 80,000 customers get served.