Maynilad cuts water losses ahead of El Niño

Maynilad Water Services Inc. has recovered more than 150 million liters per day (MLD) of water previously lost from its network, strengthening its supply buffer for customers as the West Zone concessionaire prepares for possible constraints linked to El Niño.

The company reported on Monday that the recovered volume as of June, compared with a year earlier, is equivalent to the output of a water treatment plant and can meet the daily water requirements of around 770,000 people.

The improvement gives the water firm more water to distribute without requiring an equivalent increase in production, particularly as tighter raw water availability could put pressure on supply.

“Reducing water losses enables us to make better use of the water already available in our system.

This becomes even more important as we prepare for possible supply constraints associated with El Niño, since every liter we recover helps strengthen our supply buffer without requiring an equivalent increase in water production,” Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Christopher Jaime T. Lichauco said.

Maynilad said the gains came from targeted leak repairs and the rehabilitation of tertiary, secondary, and primary pipelines across its concession area.

Its average non-revenue water (NRW) level dropped to 31.5 percent in the first half of 2026 from 36.7 percent a year earlier, reflecting lower physical and commercial water losses across its distribution network.

The company has allotted P7.7 billion this year for its NRW management program, covering pipe and meter replacement, active leakage control, district metered areas, and network diagnostic activities.

Maynilad is targeting an NRW level of 25 percent by 2027 under its Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System-approved business plan.

Based on its current trajectory, however, the concessionaire expects to end 2026 with NRW at about 25 percent, supporting its target of averaging 29 percent for the full year.