Razon-led Manila Water Co. expanded its service network in the first half of the year, adding 14,501 new connections as the utility advances a multi-billion peso infrastructure program aimed at diversifying its raw water supplies away from the Angat Reservoir.

In a statement, Manila Water said the East Zone concessionaire brought the company’s total active service connections to over 1.2 million by the end of June.

According to Manila Water, the gains in the six-month period were driven primarily by domestic demand, with 14,149 new residential accounts joining the grid alongside 352 commercial and industrial clients. In June alone, the utility added 2,332 installations.

To support the expanding customer footprint, Manila Water now maintains more than 5,700 kilometers of distribution pipelines across its concession area, which spans parts of Metro Manila and the eastern province of Rizal.

The network expansion reflects a broader effort to mitigate supply risks stemming from over-reliance on the Angat Dam, which historically accounts for more than 90 percent of the National Capital Region’s potable water requirements.

The company has directed capital expenditure toward tapping bulk supplies from Laguna Lake and the Upper Marikina River Basin to secure continuous 24-hour service delivery across its network.

Key additions to the concessionaire’s processing assets include the 100-million-liter-per-day Cardona Water Treatment Plant and the 50-million-liter-per-day East Bay Phase 1 facility. The utility expects to commission the 200-million-liter-per-day East Bay Phase 2 plant later this year.

Supplies are being further augmented by the 710-million-liter-per-day Upper Wawa Dam development and its downstream processing system. That system includes the operational 80-million-liter-per-day Calawis facility and the 220-million-liter-per-day Kaysakat Water Treatment Plant, which is approaching final completion.

“Our growth in service connections is matched by our investments in water security,” Corporate Communication Group Head Dittie Galang said.

"By expanding our network and developing alternative water sources, we are ensuring that more customers receive dependable water service today while building a more sustainable and resilient water future,” she added.