West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) has strengthened its water supply and risk mitigation measures to better respond to the possible effects of El Niño and lower raw water allocation, even as Angat Dam levels continue to decline.
Water supply in Maynilad’s service area remains stable, and the company continues to work with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, National Water Resources Board, PAGASA, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, National Irrigation Administration, and other concerned agencies on a coordinated response to evolving water supply conditions.
“Maynilad recognizes the concern over the continued decline in Angat Dam levels and the possible effects of El Niño. We have been preparing for these circumstances since previous El Niño episodes, particularly in 2019, when Angat Dam dropped to its historical low level,” said Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Christopher Jaime T. Lichauco.
“The Maynilad system today has more buffers than it had in 2019. Angat Dam remains our main raw water source, but we now have more supplemental sources, lower water losses, expanded storage, and improved network management capabilities to help manage tighter raw water conditions,” Lichauco added.
A key part of this improved readiness is Maynilad’s Laguna Lake treatment capacity, which now totals 450 million liters per day (MLD) through Putatan Water Treatment Plants 1 and 2 and the Poblacion Water Treatment Plant, each with a design capacity of 150 MLD.
Maynilad has also increased its total treatment capacity by 173 MLD since 2019, from 2,700 MLD to 2,873 MLD, supported by additional treatment facilities and supply augmentation projects. These include modular treatment plants, NEW WATER facilities, and deep wells, where appropriate.
Among these is Maynilad’s NEW WATER program, which produces potable water from treated effluent that undergoes advanced treatment processes such as ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, and disinfection. Maynilad currently has NEW WATER facilities in Parañaque and Valenzuela, and is preparing to commission its 12-million-liter-per-day Pasay NEW WATER facility in 2026 to further expand potable recycled water availability in its service area.
Maynilad has likewise added 88 million liters in reservoir capacity since 2019, from 692 ML to 780 ML. With the expected completion of the 40-ML Parada Reservoir and the 200-ML La Mesa raw water reservoir within 2026, total reservoir capacity is projected to reach 1,020 ML.
Another key component of Maynilad’s El Niño readiness is its intensified Non-Revenue Water reduction program. As of the first quarter of 2026, Maynilad brought its average NRW down to 32.0%, while its period-end NRW stood at 30.7%. In 2025 alone, Maynilad recovered 256 million liters per day of water through NRW reduction—roughly equivalent to the output of more than one and a half major water treatment plants.
Maynilad said these gains were achieved through leak detection and repair, pipe replacement, meter management, pressure regulation, and network efficiency measures, which help reduce water losses and improve the distribution of available supply across its service area.
The company also continues to implement pressure management and network optimization measures to help move available supply more efficiently across its network. In the event of localized low pressure or temporary service interruption, Maynilad has standby support measures such as mobile water tankers and stationary water tanks for deployment to affected communities.
“Maynilad’s investments in additional sources, NRW reduction, storage, treatment upgrades, and network management give us more tools to reduce the risk and extent of service disruption under tighter raw water conditions. While the severity and duration of El Niño will ultimately depend on weather patterns and raw water availability, we will continue to implement appropriate measures to protect service reliability as conditions evolve,” Lichauco said.
Maynilad also encouraged customers to use water responsibly, avoid wastage, fix household leaks, and report street leaks or illegal connections.
Maynilad operates the largest water concession by population served within a single concession area in the Philippines. It is a concessionaire of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of the cities of Manila (certain portions), Quezon City (certain portions), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon, all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the municipalities of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province.
