Maynilad Water Services Inc. is expanding its infrastructure and tapping alternative supply sources to shield the western half of Metro Manila from potential shortages as water levels at the primary Angat Dam continue to decline.

In a statement, Jaime T. Lichauco, Maynilad chief operating officer, said the West Zone concessionaire has increased its total water treatment capacity to 2,873 million liters per day from 2,700 million liters per day in 2019.

Lichauco explained that the company is seeking to avoid a repeat of the 2019 water crisis when Angat Dam dropped to record lows, triggering widespread service interruptions in the national capital region.

While supply remains stable for now, the official said Maynilad is coordinating with regulators including the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and the National Water Resources Board to manage dwindling raw water allocations.

A central component of Maynilad’s mitigation strategy is reducing reliance on Angat Dam by expanding operations around Laguna Lake. Its treatment capacity from the lake now totals 450 million liters per day across three plants in Putatan and Poblacion.

The utility is also scaling up its “New Water” program, which recycles treated wastewater into potable supply through ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis. It plans to commission a 12-million-liter-per-day recycling facility in Pasay this year to complement existing plants in Parañaque and Valenzuela.

Storage capacity has similarly been expanded to 780 million liters from 692 million liters in 2019. The company expects total reservoir capacity to reach 1,020 million liters later this year upon the completion of the 40-million-liter Parada Reservoir and the 200-million-liter La Mesa raw water reservoir.

To preserve current supply, Maynilad has intensified its non-revenue water reduction program to curb losses from leaks and illegal connections. The utility lowered its average water losses to 32 percent in the first quarter of this year, down from historical highs.

In the previous year, the company recovered 256 million liters per day through its leak repair and pipe replacement campaign.

The investments in alternative sources and network upgrades give the utility more tools to minimize service disruptions under tighter raw water conditions, Lichauco said, though he noted that the ultimate severity of the situation depends on weather patterns.

Maynilad operates the largest water concession by population in the Philippines, supplying key cities in Metro Manila including parts of Quezon City, Manila, and Makati, as well as several municipalities in neighboring Cavite province.