Maynilad earmarks P10B for La Mesa upgrades

West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. has allocated nearly P10 billion for rehabilitation and modernization projects at its La Mesa treatment facilities to strengthen water supply security against fluctuating raw water quality and potential dry spells brought by El Niño.

The Pangilinan-led water utility announced Tuesday that the multi-year capital expenditure covers completed and ongoing enhancements intended to fortify water treatment capabilities, expand system recovery, and build additional storage capacity.

A primary project involves upgrading La Mesa Water Treatment Plant 1, which now processes raw water with turbidity levels reaching up to 2,000 nephelometric turbidity units, up from its original design limit of 300 units. Parallel upgrades are currently underway at La Mesa Water Treatment Plant 2 to raise its treatment threshold to matching levels.

The heightened treatment capacity allows Maynilad to maintain operations during heavy rainfall events, when raw water turbidity in the Angat-Ipo dam system historically peaked at around 1,800 units.

“We continue to invest in La Mesa because water supply resilience depends not only on how much raw water is available, but also on how efficiently we can treat, recover, and manage the water already within our system,” Maynilad COO Christopher Jaime T. Lichauco said.

“These improvements give us additional operating flexibility as raw water conditions change and support our continuing preparations for potentially drier conditions associated with El Niño,” he added.

The company is also expanding its water recovery and augmentation systems, aiming for a combined capacity of 125 million to 170 million liters per day upon full completion.