Maynilad pipeline hit, causes 20-hour water interruption

MANILA, Philippines — The contractor of the new Pritil public market in Tondo, Manila accidentally struck Maynilad’s major pipeline, leading to water interruptions that is expected to last until this morning in five service areas.

Over 352,000 customers in most parts of Cavite, Las Piñas, Manila, Parañaque and Pasay were affected since yesterday.

Regular service is expected to resume at 10 a.m. today.

According to an official, the JBROS Construction, a third-party contractor, hit the pipeline while doing construction works at the Pritil market on Friday.

“We received a report from the city engineer of unusually strong flow at the construction site of the New Pritil Market,” Ian Abiera, Maynilad’s water supply operations officer, told dzBB yesterday. “We initially expected that only the small, secondary lines were damaged. Upon validation at the site, it turns out that the main line was likely struck.”

The water interruption affects 337 of 897 barangays in Manila, 56 of 201 in Pasay, 18 of 20 in Las Piñas and 10 of 16 in Parañaque.

In addition, most areas in the cities of Bacoor, Cavite and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario in Cavite province are impacted by the accident.

Abiera explained that smaller pipelines connect to the major pipeline along Nicolas Zamora Street, resulting in many areas experiencing a 20-hour water interruption.

Maynilad is prioritizing the repair of the pipeline and restoration of service before assessing the extent of damage, Abiera said.

He added that the west zone water concessionaire deployed water tankers and refilled its stationary water tanks to assist affected customers.

Maynilad is also coordinating with the Manila local government, which started rebuilding Pritil’s public market in March with a budget of P283.63 million after a fire gutted it in April 2023.