Manila Water reports 12.7% nonrevenue water, targets further cut

MANILA WATER Co., Inc. is aiming to further minimize its level of nonrevenue water (NRW) after reporting a 12.7% water loss last year.

“Manila Water is on par with water utilities in developed countries when it comes to the level of water losses, or nonrevenue water,” Manila Water said in a media release on Thursday.

In 2022, Manila Water said its NRW averaged 12.7%. NRW refers to water that is not billed and is lost through leaks or illegal connections.

The World Bank has said that NRW should be at 25% or lower, Manila Water said, also citing a study conducted by the agency saying NRW should be at 15% for developed countries such as Japan, Germany, England and Wales, and Singapore.

“Water is not unlimited. It is a finite resource; hence, we see to it that our NRW remains at manageable levels and at par with global standards, if not better,” said Nestor Jeric T. Sevilla, Jr., Manila Water Group Director for Corporate Communications Affairs.

The company said that when it inherited the water network in 1997, NRW is at 67%, since then Manila Water said it has been working on reducing water losses by developing long-term water sources, which also include the construction of infrastructure.

“Manila Water has remained persistent in cracking down on illegal connections, not merely to further minimize NRW but also to protect the public’s health. Illegal connections are prone to breakages and, therefore, contamination since they are made with substandard materials,” the company said.

The water company said its effort to reduce water losses includes a “multi-pronged approach,” which is a combination of proactive technical solutions, engineering and social interventions.

The company said that it had also adopted technical and engineering solutions such as reconfiguration of networks, measurement of supply volumes, and active leakage control and repairs.

With Manila Water’s low NRW, it said that it was able to facilitate the installation of 33,309 new water service connections within its service area and Rizal in 2022, versus the 21,680 recorded a year earlier.

The water concessionaire serves Manila’s east zone network, which comprises Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Pateros, Mandaluyong, San Juan, portions of Quezon City and Manila, and several towns of nearby Rizal province. — Ashley Erika O. Jose