The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is funding a P1.99-billion project to expand water infrastructure across 11 water districts and improve water service reliability while helping local utilities meet rising demand.

Implemented by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), the Water District Development Sector Project (WDDSP) will finance infrastructure upgrades and boost the institutional capacity of participating water districts to improve operations and service delivery.

LWUA will oversee project implementation, compliance and monitoring to ensure the development financing translates into improved infrastructure, stronger institutions and better water services.

"The partnership with ADB reflects our shared commitment to helping local water districts become stronger, more sustainable institutions capable of meeting the growing water needs of Filipino communities,” LWUA Administrator Jose Moises  F. Salonga said on Thursday.

“Beyond financing infrastructure, we are strengthening the institutions that operate these systems. Our goal is to ensure that every investment leads to better governance, improved operations, and more reliable water service for millions of Filipinos,” he added. 

LWUA-assisted water districts currently serve about 24.8 million Filipinos through more than 6.06 million service connections.

Alongside infrastructure investments, LWUA said it has streamlined tariff approvals, strengthened governance standards, expanded capacity-building programs, and provided technical assistance to help local water districts improve their financial sustainability and undertake critical infrastructure projects.

The agency also said more water districts have reduced non-revenue water and improved their institutional classifications through better governance and management practices, helping utilities operate more efficiently and deliver more reliable services.