Maynilad launches drive vs illegal water connections

MANILA, Philippines — To help cut its non-revenue water losses, Maynilad Water Services Inc. said it has begun investigating for illegal connections within its west zone concession area.

Since the launch of its Sugpuin ang Ilegal na Koneksyon AgaD (Sikad, Stop Illegal Connections Immediately) program last month, Maynilad said it has already received reports for 32 such cases. These illegal connections, based on the water firm’s initial computations, have consumed nearly 20,000 cubic meters of water—which would be enough to supply over 660 average households for one month, the water firm said in a statement.

Out of the 32 reported cases, 20 have been investigated, of which 17 were confirmed as illegal connections, Maynilad said, further encouraging people to support the six-month program.

“We are thankful for those who have joined the program and appreciate their bravery and sense of civic duty. We encourage more people to join so we can protect the safety of our customers and preserve our water supply,” said Ricky Vargas, president and CEO of Maynilad.

Maynilad launched the Sikad program last April to protect the water supply of its customers and reduce its water losses. As of the end of March this year, Maynilad’s non-revenue water (NRW) level stood at 50 percent.

The program also enjoined the public to report illegal connections of commercial and industrial establishments by offering cash rewards. For each confirmed illegal connection, a concerned citizen may be awarded anywhere between P15,000 and P120,000. The cash reward would be based on the under-collected amount of the reported illegal connection.

Sikad will run for six months until September 30, 2011. It will cover commercial and industrial establishments with the following illegal water supply activities: tampered meters, by-pass connections, double tapping and unregistered connections.