The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) has granted the requests of water concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad to extend their revised concession agreements by 10 years, coinciding with the expiration of their congressional franchises in 2047.

The extension clears the way for the long-term plans of both water service providers, with the two firms pledging to increase their capital and operating expenditures to improve services now that they have more time to recover their investments.

Manila Water, controlled by the Razon Group, estimates the franchise extension would allow it to increase water service connections from the forecasted 1.24 million in 2037 to 1.33-million connections by 2047.

As a result, the company’s billed volume should jump from 732-million cubic meters (mcm) in 2037 to 1,009-mcm by 2047.

The company also expects sewer service connections to increase from its forecast of 731,000 in 2037 to 1.1 million in 2047.

Most of the enthusiasm is coming from the Upper Wawa Dam operations in December when over 700,000 households are expected to benefit from a more stable water supply.

Prime Infra-led WawaJVCo said the project, part of the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project’s second phase, was completed seven months ahead of schedule.

It will deliver up to 710 million liters of water per day to the service area of the MWSS, which covers around 3.5 million Filipinos.

This marks the beginning of one of WawaJVCo’s most critical water projects.

The dam, which began construction in 2021, features a 450-hectare reservoir — about twice the size of Bonifacio Global City — that can store up to 120 million cubic meters of water.