Water concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. (Maynilad) revealed that it is expanding its Hybrid Sewer System (HSS) to improve wastewater collection from households that cannot be directly connected to traditional sewer lines.

This comes as Maynilad announced a P3.5-billion investment to implement HSS projects in additional areas within its concession which aims to increase sewage coverage, reduce creek pollution, and enhance environmental sustainability.

“Even in sewered areas, some houses are difficult to connect due to location,” said Maynilad chief operating officer Randolph T. Estrellado. “The HSS allows us to serve these peripheral customers, especially those in informal settlements.”

The HSS utilizes existing drainage systems connected to household discharge outlets to capture wastewater, which is intercepted by the HSS before reaching nearby bodies of water and diverted to a sewer line leading to a Maynilad sewage treatment facility for proper decontamination before release.

Maynilad first adopted the HSS concept in 2020 to maintain sewerage services during the pandemic as the approach is faster and more cost-effective than building a complex network of traditional sewer lines to connect individual houses on the city’s outskirts.

Maynilad’s HSS currently serves approximately 93,000 customers in Manila, effectively preventing the discharge of raw wastewater into city creeks.