West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. slashed its water losses to a record low in 2025 as a ramp-up in network rehabilitation began to yield significant operational efficiencies.

The company reported a non-revenue water (NRW) level of 30.7 percent as of December 2025, according to a filing with the Philippine Stock Exchange on Monday, Jan. 26. The figure represents a sharp decline from the 38.4 percent recorded during the same period in 2024. For the full year, Maynilad averaged an NRW level of 34.9 percent, marking a five percentage-point improvement year-on-year.

The 7.7 percentage-point reduction in year-end losses effectively recovered 256 million liters per day (MLD). That volume is equivalent to the entire output of a medium-sized water treatment plant and is sufficient to supply the daily requirements of approximately 1.6 million customers. NRW refers to treated water that is produced but lost before reaching the consumer, typically due to aging infrastructure, pipe bursts, meter inaccuracies, or illegal connections.

Mayniald Chief Operating Officer Christopher J. Lichauco said the recovery of these volumes is a cornerstone of the firm’s strategy to optimize its existing asset base. By stemming leaks, the company reduces the necessity to overproduce treated water, thereby lowering the energy and chemical costs associated with pumping and distribution.

He noted that the achievement strengthens the utility’s ability to provide reliable service while acting as a responsible steward of the region’s water resources.

The operational pivot involved a massive scale-up in field interventions. Maynilad repaired approximately 70,000 small leaks throughout 2025, an activity level that complemented the repair of 206 large-scale pipe bursts within the primary distribution network. This aggressive maintenance schedule was supported by increased capital spending on meter replacements and pipeline relining.

Central NRW Head Ryan B. Jamora attributed the faster response times to the adoption of new leak-detection technologies. These innovations allowed field teams to identify and resolve "hidden" leaks in areas where traditional acoustic methods were previously ineffective.

The 2025 performance keeps Maynilad on track toward its long-term target of reducing NRW to 25% by 2027. The company continues to face the logistical challenge of replacing decades-old pipes in densely populated urban corridors, a process that remains central to its multi-year capital expenditure program. - Gabriell Christel Galang