History of Maynilad

Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad)

was formed in 1997, after the consortium
of Benpres Holdings Corporation and Suez
Lyonnaise de Eaux won the exclusive right
to provide water and wastewater services
in the West Zone of Metropolitan Manila.
Before then, the Metropolitan Waterworks
and Sewerage System (MWSS) was in
charge of providing these services.
A Difficult Start
Towards the end of 1997, Maynilad
struggled to meet its service and financial
obligations because of the Asian financial
crisis and El Nino phenomenon. These
events led to a string of financial, legal
and regulatory disputes between Maynilad
and MWSS.
In 2005, Benpres and Suez ceded
management and control of Maynilad to
MWSS. A competitive bidding was done by
the Philippine Government the following
year to re-privatize Maynilad.
Change in Ownership
DMCI-MPIC Water Company, a joint
venture between Metro Pacific
Investments Corporation (MPIC) and DMCI
Holdings, Inc. (DMCI), won the competitive
bidding and acquired 83.96% of
Maynilad's shares.
On January 24, 2007, the new owners took
over Maynilad and launched an aggressive
five-year investment program to
rehabilitate the company and its
operations.
In 2013, Marubeni Corporation of Japan
acquired a 20% stake in DMCI-MPIC Water
Company and became a strategic partner
of the Metro Pacific-DMCI consortium.
Transforming Services, Improving Lives
Since its re-privatization, Maynilad has
spent over P47 billion to improve and
expand its water services. As a result, over
9 million people in Valenzuela City down to

Cavite City are now enjoying safe, reliable

water supply.
In the coming years, Maynilad will focus
on accelerating its wastewater
investments, while ensuring the water
supply of its current and future customers.
History of Manila Waters
The true value of water is realized only
when there is lack of it. Its also why it is
often taken for granted. Water is so much
a part of our everyday lives that the
concept of not having it is too
overwhelming.
Unfortunately, this was once a way of life
that Metro Manila residents faced every
day. Before 1997, the capitals water
supply and distribution were in disarray.
Illegal connections ran rampant. Clean and
potable water was a privilege that poor
families simply did not have, and that
others had to acquire at a steep price.
In 1995, this situation prompted the
Philippine government to enact the
National Water Crisis Act, which paved the
way for the turnover of the operation of
water services from the governmentowned Metropolitan Waterworks and
Sewerage System (MWSS) to the private
sector.
Ayala-led Manila Water Company took over
the East Zone of Metro Manila under a
Concession Agreement that granted the
company exclusive rights to the use of
land and facilities for the production,
treatment and distribution of water, as
well as the rights to operate the sewerage
system.
Manila Water
Angat Dam
The Angat Reservoir and Dam are located
38 kilometers north of Metro Manila at the
Angat River in San Lorenzo, Norzagaray,
Bulacan. The facilities were constructed
from 1964 to 1967 and have been

operational since 1968. They have

multiple functions:
To supply the domestic and industrial
water requirements of residents in Metro
Manila;
To provide irrigation to about 31,000
hectares of land in 20 municipalities and
towns in Pampanga and Bulacan;
To generate hydroelectric power to feed
the Luzon Grid; and
To reduce flooding to downstream towns
and villages.
The principal river, Angat River, originates
from the Sierra Madre Mountains. It has
three major tributaries namely the
Talaguio, Catmon and Matulid Rivers. The
Angat Watershed has a moderate to
intensive forest cover and has an area of
about 568 square kilometers, which
receives an average annual rainfall of
about 4,200 millimeters.
The Angat Dam is a rockfill dam with a
spillway equipped with three gates at a
spilling level of 212 meters. It supplies 98
percent of Metro Manilas water needs
with a storage capacity of about 850
million cubic meters. Water supply to the
MWSS is released through five auxiliary
turbines where it is diverted to the two
tunnels going to the Ipo Dam. Every
second, the dam releases 46 cubic meters
of water.
Angat usually stores enough water to give
the city a 30-day worth of supply. This
supply can be severely affected during
droughts caused by El Nio.
Ipo Dam
The Ipo Dam is a gravity-concrete dam
located about 7.5 kilometers downstream
of the Angat Dam in Bulacan. It was
completed in January 1984 with a
maximum storage capacity of 7.5 million
cubic meters with a total catchment area
of 6,600 hectares.

The spill level of the dam is at an elevation

of 101 meters and it has seven radial
floodgates. The watershed topography is
characterized by mountainous terrain
similar to the Angat Reservoir Watershed
with moderate forest cover. The watershed
has an area of about 70 square kilometers
and receives an average annual rainfall of
3,500 millimeters. Tributaries to the Angat
River at this section include the Ipo, Sapa
Pako and Sapa Anginon Rivers. These
tributaries drain into the Angat River from
the eastern section of the watershed.
From the Angat Dam, water flows through
two concrete diversion tunnels down to
the Ipo Dam. The Ipo Dam serves as an
intermediate intake and water is then
conveyed through three intake structures
at the dam going to three connecting
tunnels. Water from the three tunnels
flows to three settling basins in Bicti,
Norzagaray which are connected to five
Bicti-Novaliches aqueducts. The five
aqueducts can deliver a maximum
capacity of 4,500 million liters per day at
the Novaliches Portal. At the Novaliches
Portal, most of the water is conveyed
through three open channels going to
Balara Treatment Plants.
La Mesa Dam
The La Mesa Dam is an earth dam located
in Novaliches, Quezon City. It was first
built in 1929 and then further raised in
1959 to a maximum storage capacity of
50.5 million cubic meters. Overflow level
of the dam is at an elevation of 80.15
meters. The watershed has an area of 27
square kilometers, which receives an
average annual rainfall of 2,000
millimeters.
The La Mesa Dam serves as a primary
sedimentation basin. It also ensures
continuity of service in the East Zone by
serving as a reliability dam in case of
emergencies during the dry months. It has
a storage capacity equivalent to 19 days
of Manila Waters supply requirements.

The La Mesa Dam has three intake

structures, with connecting aqueducts to
the Balara and East La Mesa Treatment
Plants.

WATER TREATMENT
Manila Water operates three water
treatment facilities Balara Filter 1,
Balara Filter 2 and East La Mesa, all
located in Quezon City.
Balara Treatment Plants
Water travels approximately 34 kilometers
from Angat to the Balara Filtration Plants.
Balara Filter 1 has been operational since
1935 and has a treatment capacity of 470
million liters per day, whereas Filter 2 has
been operational since 1958 and has a
treatment capacity of 1,130 million liters
per day.
In total, the Balara Filtration Plants filter
the equivalent of 6.5 billion glasses of
water each day equal to a combined
capacity of producing 1,313 million liters
of drinking water per day.
East La Mesa Treatment Plant
The East La Mesa Treatment Plant located
in Payatas, Quezon City began operations
in June 2012. It has a capacity of treating
150 million liters of water per day. It
supplies water to far-flung expansion
areas in the Rizal province, improving the
supply balance of the entire network.
Water Treatment Process
Raw water undergoes several treatment
processes before it passes the standards
for potable water. Conventional water
treatment consists of the following
processes: coagulation/flocculation,
sedimentation, filtration and
disinfection/chlorination.
COAGULATION/FLOCCULATION

Raw water coming straight from the dams

carries soil, dirt, and dissolved minerals.
The raw water is first treated with chlorine
to get rid of any germs. Chemical polymer
or coagulants are mixed uniformly into
the water to make the dissolved minerals
and dirt lump together. The lumps either
float or sink. The water then passes
through machines called "flocculators"
that remove the dirt that floats.
SEDIMENTATION
The "flocs" then pass through large pools
called settling basins to remove dirt that
sinks. Heavy flocs will settle at the bottom
of the tanks while the clarified water will
be collected.
FILTRATION
Finally, the water flows through several
filter beds that act like very fine strainers,
each one finer than the next, to remove
microscopic impurities.
DISINFECTION/CHLORINATION
After even the smallest impurities have
been removed, the water is again injected
with chlorine gas to kill any microbes or
germs that may contaminate the water.
Water is now safe for drinking and are
then sent to distribution by gravity and by
pumping.

WASTEWATER
Wastewater is a general term that includes
all "used water" discharged by
households, commercial and industrial
establishments.
Aside from providing clean and potable
water to more than 6.3 million customers
in the concession area, Manila Water also
provides sewerage and sanitation services
to help improve the conditions of the

water environment in the metropolis and

safeguard public health.
Manila Waters steadfast commitment to
protect the environment is evident in the
magnitude and scale of the companys
efforts to ensure that domestic
wastewater from households does not
contribute to the pollution of rivers and
other water bodies. The proper disposal
and treatment of wastewater are essential
elements of Manila Waters services. In the
coming years, wastewater management
will play an even more crucial role, as the
company extends its wastewater services
to cover more areas and benefit more
people in the East Zone.
Sewerage
Sewerage services include the operation
and maintenance of networks of sewer
pipelines that collect and convey sewage
to a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) which
then clean the wastewater before safely
returning it to our water bodies.

waste, and other liquid or semi-liquid

wastes. These are collected via a network
of sewer pipelines that direct sewage
flows to an STP. As of 2015, a total
of 368.24 kilometers of sewer lines are
maintained in the East Zone. Manila Water
currently operates a total of 41 STPs with
a combined treatment capacity of 317
million liters per day. A total of 172,370
households now have access to full
wastewater treatment.
Treated wastewater from the STPs meets
"Class C" effluent regulations and is safe
for discharge to creeks and rivers or
recycled for non-contact purposes like
toilet flushing, cleaning and irrigation. The
STPs operate in compliance with existing
regulatory standards of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR) and the Laguna Lake Development
Authority (LLDA). Treated wastewater help
revive the rivers where they are
discharged because of their suitability to
support aquatic life.
Wastewater Treatment Process

In many respects, wastewater services

present even greater challenges than
supplying clean, safe tap water.
Centralized sewer network systems for a
densely populated area like Metro Manila
entail huge capital investments and land
requirements.
As an innovative solution to address the
sewage and sanitation needs of its service
area, Manila Water devised a strategy to
construct compact or "package" sewage
treatment plants to serve specific areas or
communities where feasible. Manila Water
also utilizes the Combined Sewer-Drainage
System in the collection of wastewater
from households. This strategy will utilize
the existing municipal drainage system for
wastewater conveyance, thereby
minimizing the laying of new sewer pipes.

Manila Waters wastewater treatment

plants employ a technology that mimics
the natures way of dealing with wastes
and pollution. Through a variety of
mechanisms and processes, and by using
dissolved oxygen to promote the growth of
bacteria that "eat" contaminants, these
treatment plants produce treated
wastewater safe enough for re-use or
discharge to receiving bodies of water.
SCREENING
Wastewater passes through the
mechanical screens to remove sand, grit
and debris. Raw sewage is then lifted by
pumps into the head of the treatment
process.
EQUALIZATION

Sewage coming out from households is

waste produced by humans which
typically contains washing water from
sinks, toilets and bathrooms, laundry

Flow rate is controlled to prevent huge

variations in volume, concentration and
temperature.

PRIMARY SEDIMENTATION
Large sediments are allowed to settle to
separate clarified water. Wastewater then
flows into tanks equipped with aerators
and blowers.
AERATION
The blowers supply oxygen to the tank to
sustain the bacteria responsible for
decomposition of pollutants.
SECONDARY SEDIMENTATION
Biological "flocs" are allowed to settle to
separate clarified water.
DISINFECTION
Harmful microorganisms are removed by
the addition of sodium hypochlorite.
Treated wastewater, or effluent, then flows
by gravity to the nearest water body.
Sanitation
Majority or 85 percent of households in the
East Zone are not yet covered by a sewer
system and instead utilize their own septic
tanks. Wastewater that accumulates
inside septic tanks are called septage.
Septic tanks, if properly maintained, only
provide primary wastewater treatment.
Because septic tanks provide only partial
treatment, they eventually leak out
pollution into the groundwater or into
municipal drainage systems, eventually
finding its way into our rivers and water
bodies.
To address this, Manila Water offers
sanitation services called septic tank
desludging. Sanitation services include the
operation and maintenance of desludging
vacuum tankers that clean or siphon
household septic tanks, and Septage
Treatment Plants (SpTPs) that receive and
treat the hauled septage before disposing
the treated byproducts through
environmentally safe means. Manila Water

currently operates two SpTPs, capable of

treating a total of 1,400 cubic meters of
septage daily.
Manila Water operates a fleet of 50
vacuum trucks that perform regular
scheduled septic tank cleaning services or
desludging for communities at no added
charge. This sanitation program is carried
out in coordination with barangay officials
to ensure efficient desludging service to
Manila Water customers. Each household
is recommended to undergo desludging
every five years to prevent healthy and
environmental hazards. Around 873,929
households have benefited from this
service since 2012.

Manila Water is a subsidiary of Ayala

Corporation, the Philippines's oldest
conglomerate, in partnership with British and
Japanese investors.[citation needed] Incorporated on
January 6, 1997, Manila Water started
operations on January 1, 2000, and became a
publicly listed company on March 18, 2005.
Since the Metropolitan Waterworks and
Sewerage System (MWSS) privatization on
August 1, 1997, it is the east concessionaire
and the Maynilad Water Services, Inc. the
west concessionaire. The 25-year water
concession agreement inked with MWSS is
expected to terminate in 2022. On December
12, 2007, Bulacan and the Metropolitan
Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS)
signed an agreement for the development of
a 11-billion bulk water supply project. It was
reported[when?] that Manila Water would
implement the project. MWSS and Manila
Water would provide a financial package of
an infrastructure grant, a P10-million
development assistance and a 10-million
royalty fee to the towns
of Norzagaray and Doa Remedios Trinidad,
which would host the water supply project.[1]
In 2009, Manila Water acquired ownership of
the company that supplies water to growth
areas in Laguna, south of Manila. Through its
wholly owned subsidiary AAA Water Corp

(AWC), Manila Water gained a 70% stake in

In February 2012, Manila Water disclosed that

Laguna AAA Water Corp, a joint venture

its consortium with partners Viscal

between the provincial government of Laguna

Development Corp. and Stateland Inc. was

and AWC. The joint venture company serves

awarded the bulk water system project

the cities of Santa Rosa, Bian and Cabuyao,

of Cebu in the northern and central areas of

where several international businesses

the province. The provincial government of

including Nestle, Ford, and Coca-Cola, and

Cebu and the consortium were to jointly

major industrial parks, are located.[2]

undertake the project with 49 percent and 51

percent equity, respectively.[6]

In 2010, Manila Water and the Philippine

Tourism Authority, a government agency,
formed a joint venture called Boracay Island
Water Co., Inc. With an initial capitalization of
300 million (approximately US$6.5 million)
and a 25-year concession agreement, the
company has been tasked to develop,
operate, and manage the water and sewerage
system of the Philippines' most popular tourist
spot.[3]
The company has expanded operations
elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region, with
management contracts and/or investments
in Vietnam[4] India[citation needed] and Australia.[5]