West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. is nearing completion of a P5.8-billion network upgrade to improve water supply reliability for customers in Muntinlupa and Las Piñas while strengthening the company's distribution system ahead of a potential El Niño.

The company said Friday the project involves the installation of 9.12 kilometers of primary distribution pipelines that will enable Maynilad to transport more treated water from its Poblacion Water Treatment Plant in Muntinlupa to areas in the southern portion of its concession.

The new pipelines are expected to improve the distribution of available water, provide more stable water pressure, and reduce the risk of service disruptions by allowing the utility to reroute supply more efficiently across its network when needed.

Once fully commissioned and integrated into the network, the project will strengthen water distribution across the southern West Zone and improve pressure management, enabling the company to deliver water from available sources more efficiently.

The network upgrade also forms part of Maynilad's preparations for the possible effects of El Niño.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has said El Niño conditions are present in the tropical Pacific and are expected to strengthen in the coming months, increasing the likelihood of below-normal rainfall, dry spells and drought in parts of the country.

"Investments such as this are part of our continuing effort to build a more resilient water system for the West Zone.

As climate conditions become more challenging, we need infrastructure that allows us to maximize available supply, manage constraints more effectively, and better support our customers during periods of tighter raw water availability," Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Christopher Jaime T. Lichauco said.

Maynilad said these initiatives are intended to reduce its reliance on a single water source, improve operational flexibility, and maintain reliable water service during prolonged dry conditions.