Water running 24/7 in most households – Maynilad

Manila’s main water supplier trumpeted on Tuesday that seven in 10 households now enjoy round-the-clock water supply, less than four years after its new owners took over. In a statement, Maynilad Water Services Inc. said water is running without interruptions in more than twice the number of households in 2007, when the Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and DMCI Holdings Inc. won the rights to run the water concession. The company added that almost nine in 10 customers are now experiencing water pressure levels of 7 pounds per inch, enough to push water up to a second floor. For these improvements, Maynilad credited its five-year, P38-billion capital expenditure program. An official of a water rights group, however, said Maynilad only paints half the picture. “Hindi lang siya question ng accessibility ng water services kundi affordability rin (More than a question of accessibility of water services, it is also a question of affordability)," said Sonny Africa, coordinator of the Water for the People Network (WPN), in an interview with GMANews.TV. Maynilad, which supplies Metro Manila’s West Zone, plans to deliver a 24-hour water service at 7 psi to all its 874,500 household customers by 2012. “To achieve this, the West Zone concessionaire will continue to replace old pipes, lay primary distribution lines in the South and other unreached areas, and construct reservoirs to maximize efficiency in distributing water in its concession area," Maynilad said. Making up the West Zone are portions of Manila, Quezon City, Makati, and Caloocan, and the whole of Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas, and Malabon. Maynilad also covers Cavite City and the towns of Bacoor, Imus, Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario in Cavite. — Paterno Esmaquel II/VS, GMANews.TV