Maynilad sets P42 B 3-year capex

MANILA, Philippines - West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. is investing P42 billion until 2018 to accelerate the improvement and expansion of its water and wastewater services.

“Through this three-year capex (capital expenditure) program, we hope to ramp up our massive investments by accelerating the completion of new projects so we can meet our service obligations to our customers and the government,” Maynilad president and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez said.

Of the three-year capital budget, P21 billion will be spent for water projects, which include service expansion, management of water losses or non-revenue water program, operational support programs such as the upgrade of pumping stations and the development of new water sources.

Maynilad recovered 913 million liters since it started the non-revenue water (NRW) program in 2008 that included the replacement of old pipes.

From 2008, the company was able to replace more than 1,500 kilometers of pipes particularly in Central Manila where water loss cases were highest and leaks repaired reached over 262,000.

Maynilad has already spent P18 billion for the program since 2008 which covered meter and pressure management, active leakage control, primary line assessment, selective pipe replacement, and district metered area management.

The remaining half of the three-year budget is earmarked for the company’s sewerage and sanitation program.

This covers the construction of sewage treatment plants, laying of conveyance systems, acquisition of lots for new wastewater facilities, and maintenance of the existing wastewater infrastructure.

For 2016 alone, Maynilad is investing P13.6 billion mainly for water and waste-water infrastructure projects that are expected to create around 41,243 jobs.

About P3.9 billion will go to support programs such as the construction, rehabilitation and upgrade of treatment plants, pumping stations and reservoirs, and the laying of primary pipelines for water service expansion.

Some P2 billion will be spent for the NRW reduction program, another P260 million for leak repair operations, while the remaining budget will be allotted for leak detection, network diagnostics, meter management, and replacement of old water meters.

Funding will come from a combination of bank loans and internally generated funds.

The water firms expects to generate over 126,000 jobs from its expansion over the next three years.

Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the country in terms of customer base. It is the agent and contractor of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area.

It serves the areas of Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas, Malabon, and certain portions of Manila, Quezon City, Makati and Cavite.