Global water tech firm upbeat on Philippines mining

MANILA, Philippines — Global water technology company Xylem Inc. plans to tap more mining companies in the country for better water management as it remains upbeat on the sector that continues to be hampered by uncertain government regulations and policies.

Xylem president and CEO Patrick Decker said the mining industry is seen as one of the company’s growth sectors, apart from its commercial building segment, as the government pushes the sector to scale up its compliance to environmental standards.

“Mining is one of most water intensive industries as they constantly generate water from the ground. Our aim is to try to help the mining companies be better stewards of the water that they are generating,“ Decker said in a briefing.

The mining industry is among the markets in the Philippines that Xylem is developing. So far, it is in partnership with four companies including Carmen Copper mine of listed Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp.

“We are talking to more as we are trying to cover most of the (mining sites) in the Philippines. We help on the treatment side because there is more money spent for water management than the actual mining operation itself,” Xylem Southeast Asia managing director Koh Chong Hin said.

“We are aware of the sensitivities of the mining sector in the Philippines and so we are cautious. We will support whatever is necessary,” he added.

Xylem offers solutions for open pit mines, underground mines and material processing, including a wide range of rental pumps, advanced treatment equipment for water management, and precision analytics to ensure process control and compliance.

The company also has water technology to monitor environmental impact including groundwater testing, contaminants and erosion.

Apart from the mining industry, Xylem is looking at large-scale projects that involve treatment plants and flood control and projects on non-revenue water and addressing water losses.

Decker said building a secure water future for communities is achievable as technologies needed to solve global water challenges are available.

“Huge strides have been made in smart water technology and advanced data analytics that enable more efficient and sustainable water and wastewater management,” he said.

In the Philippines, Xylem’s operations include global water infrastructure analytics support, pump manufacturing and dewatering services. It has facilities in Calamba and Makati that serve customers in the municipal, industrial, commercial and residential markets.