Maynilad Water Services, Inc. is urging government agencies and local authorities to streamline the permitting process for repair and infrastructure projects as it works to reduce non-revenue water (NRW) and improve service delivery across its concession area.
The west zone water concessionaire has earmarked P31.46 billion for NRW-related initiatives from 2023 to 2027, with P11.96 billion already spent from 2023 through the first quarter of 2025.
This leaves P19.5 billion for implementation over the remaining two and a half years of the current investment cycle.
“Our commitment is to bring down NRW to 25 percent by 2027. That’s the target set in our rebasing obligations, and we are investing heavily to meet it,” said Maynilad’s head for NRW management Ryan Jamora.
NRW refers to treated water that is lost before reaching customers, either due to physical leaks or commercial issues like meter inaccuracies and illegal connections.
Maynilad is currently undertaking extensive repairs, leak detection, pipe replacements, and network upgrades to cut down on these losses.
However, Jamora said the process of securing multiple permits is slowing down implementation.
“In many cases, we need four to five permits just to repair a leak. These may include clearances from the city government, traffic and maintenance departments like the Manila Metropolitan Development Authority (MMDA), and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), especially if it involves a national road,” he said.
He cited Manila City’s 900 barangays as a particularly complex area requiring extensive coordination.
“We’re actively strengthening our relationships with local communities and government offices to fast-track clearances,” he said.
Maynilad has launched programs to build awareness and cooperation, emphasizing that NRW reduction ultimately benefits the public by making the water supply more reliable, particularly during periods of low supply.
“NRW management is complex. It’s not just fixing leaks, it involves multiple technical and institutional challenges. But if we succeed, we can reduce service interruptions and ensure long-term sustainability of water delivery for our customers,” Jamora said.
The company reiterated that continued support from government stakeholders and the public is critical in achieving its targets.
