Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — As El Niño shows no signs of letting up, Maynilad Water Services, Inc. is upgrading its water meters to reduce water loss and billing errors for its customers.
Maynilad is spending P558 million for its meter management program this year, the water concessionaire said in a statement on Wednesday (April 20).
Under the program, it will replace about 135,000 old water meters in households across the west side of the greater Manila area. This will cost roughly P428 million.
Another P40 million will go into upgrading mechanical meters to electromagnetic ones, which allow for automatic meter reading.
The remaining P90 million will be used to install meters for new accounts, and to maintain water meters in primary distribution lines.
“Water meters only have an optimum life span of about seven years. Given this, the timely replacement of water meters is essential so our customers can be assured that Maynilad records and bills their consumption accurately,” Maynilad President and Chief Executive Officer Ramoncito S. Fernandez said in the statement.
Maynilad began improving its water meters in 2012, as it booked heavy losses from water theft and inaccurate meter readings.
Since then, the Pangilinan-run company has upgraded an average of 150,000 meters every year.
Maynilad estimates it has recovered as much as 28 million liters of water every day since the program began.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is the agent and contractor of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System for the west zone of greater Manila, including some parts of Manila, Quezon City, and Makati, as well as Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas, and Malabon in Metro Manila. It also services Cavite, Bacoor, Imus, Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario in the Cavite Province.
