Maynilad water meter (FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — Maynilad Water Services Inc. on Monday announced that it had recently begun the piped-in distribution of its New Water — or potable supply sourced from treated used water — to two barangays in Parañaque City.
In a statement, Maynilad said it had received a Conditional Operational Permit for the project from the Metro Manila Center for Health Development of the Department of Health (DOH) — which will be valid for 12 months.
“The COP was issued by the DOH after New Water passed a series of tests that proved its adherence to the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water (PNSDW) and squarely met the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on potable reuse,” said Maynilad.
Prior to the permit issuance, New Water has already been given a Certificate of Potability by the Parañaque City Health Office.
Maynilad’s New Water is the first implementation of potable water reuse in the Philippines.
“The DOH’s issuance of a permit to commence piped-in distribution of New Water is a major milestone for the local water industry, as this is the first time that recycled water will be tapped as an alternative supply source to address water shortages,” said Ramoncito Fernandez, Maynilad president and CEO.
Fernandez also noted that the recycling of water for potable use is a practice that has been in place for decades in other countries, such as Singapore, Namibia, and parts of the United States.
Maynilad’s P450 million New Water Treatment Plant aims to have an output of 10 million liters per day with the supply produced by the company’s La Mesa Treatment Plants before conveyance to Barangays San Isidro and San Dionisio in Parañaque City.
Fernandez said that Maynilad is eyeing to construct four more plants by 2025, which will get treated used water from the company’s sewage treatment plants in Pasay, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, and Valenzuela.
Maynilad provides water for portions of the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area — or Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon — as well as the cities of Cavite, Bacoor, and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario in Cavite province.