MAYNILAD Water Services, Inc. has allocated P179 million to buy 19 new vacuum truck units in the west zone water concessionaire’s efforts to strengthen its septage collection.
In a statement, Maynilad said the new vacuum trucks can clean 190 septic tanks daily and will help the delivery of the company’s sanitary services for customers who are not connected to its sewer network.
Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Randolph T. Estrellado said the company’s new acquisitions will help meet its sanitation targets, which have been hindered due to restrictions caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
“We are appealing to our customers to have their septic tanks desludged because not doing so will result in serious environmental, health, and safety risks to their family and community,” Mr. Estrellado said.
According to the water provider, it has cleaned some 147,900 septic tanks and has treated around 223 million liters of septage in 2019.
Maynilad said the collected septage is transported to its septage treatment facilities for processing and treatment. After treatment, the by-product is sent to a processing plant where it will be converted to organic fertilizer.
The water provider’s wastewater infrastructure network includes 19 sewage treatment plants, two joint sewage and septage treatment plants, and one septage treatment plant.
Combined, the network has a total treatment capacity of 664,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day.
Maynilad provides water to areas in the west zone of the National Capital Region such as Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas, Malabon, Manila, Makati, and Quezon City; and parts of Cavite province such as Bacoor, Imus, Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario.
Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which has a majority stake in Maynilad, is one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
