Maynilad expedites P7.9B upgrade for La Mesa Treatment Plants

MANILA, Philippines — Maynilad Water Services, Inc. has deployed over 400 workers at the La Mesa Treatment Plants (LMTP) 1 and 2 in Quezon City to fast-track the completion of the P7.9-billion upgrade of the facilities, following the easing of community quarantine restrictions.

In a statement on Tuesday, Maynilad said the returning workers passed “antibody screening tests” prior to redeployment at the site. They are also required to follow stricter safety protocols to prevent infection from COVID-19.

“Completion of this project is essential to ensuring water service reliability for our customers, given the challenges posed by increasingly variable raw water quality from Angat Dam,” said Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Randolph Estrellado.

According to Maynilad, the upgrade, which started in 2017, involves increasing the facilities’ capacity to treat higher raw water turbidity, retrofitting of structures for improved earthquake resiliency, and automating processes.

The LMTP 1 and 2 produce 2,400 million liters of water per day and serve around 90 percent of the concessionaire’s 9.7 million customers.

The upgrade is being done in phases so that the facilities can still operate with interruption of water services.

Aside from upgrading treatment facilities, Maynilad said its roadmap for addressing water security challenges include the construction of new treatment facilities, pumping stations and reservoirs; sustained network enhancements through pipe replacements and leak repairs; and development of smaller alternative raw water sources “to accommodate a growing population.”