Maynilad bags award for digital innovation

MANILA, Philippines — Pangilinan-led Maynilad Water Services Inc. has received recognition for its push to adopt digital technology in its operations.

The west zone concessionaire was recently conferred the 2020 Philippine Enterprise Innovation Award for its adoption of digital technology in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of treatment facilities that require more complex processes.

The award recognizes organizations that transform their business through digital technology.

Maynilad’s winning entry focused on its use of the building information modeling (BIM) and distributed control system (DCS) technologies, which allowed for enhanced operational efficiency in running technologically complex facilities.

The Putatan Water Treatment Plant 2, which sources raw water from the Laguna Lake to provide potable water for Maynilad customers in the south, was featured as its model facility for the effective adoption of DCS.

The water company is also using the BIM and DCS tools in the construction of new treatment plants.

“We are always on the lookout for new technologies that can enhance our business processes and, ultimately, enable us to improve customer service,” Maynilad president and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez said.

The Putatan plant was built to help moderate over-dependence on the Angat Dam, as well as expand water service to Maynilad customers in the southern part of its concession area.

With a production capacity of 150 million liters per day, Putatan 2 is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies that enable it to produce potable water despite the variability of the lake water’s quality.

Located in Muntinlupa, the facility is the largest membrane-based water treatment plant in the Philippines and is also the first of its kind in the country to use large-scale microfiltration and reverse osmosis.

The Philippine Enterprise Innovation Award is organized by the AIBP, a premier business program that drives enterprises to learn about the adoption of the Internet of Things for their businesses.

Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the country in terms of customer base. It serves the areas of Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas, Malabon, and certain portions of Manila, Quezon City, Makati and Cavite.