Maynilad Water Services Inc. (Maynilad) announced on Tuesday that a major leak on a primary line along Osmeña Highway corner Zobel Roxas, Makati near the boundary of Manila will be repaired, and may severely affect water services to its customers in Manila, Makati, Pasay, and Parañaque.
In a statement, Maynilad said the repair would cause 20-hour to 57-hour water service interruptions starting at 3 p.m. on March 5, 2023, until 11:59 p.m. on March 7, 2023.
All in all, Maynilad said around 114,000 water service connections will be affected.
The leak—which Maynilad discovered during a pipe network inspection using various acoustic leak detection equipment—appears to be coming from the lower end of a blow-off assembly connected to a 2,200mm-diameter steel pipe located 7 meters underground.
Maynilad has to expose the underground pipe to properly assess the extent of the damage. Its workers will need 52 hours to excavate the site, drain the primary line, repair the damage, and energize the affected pipeline.
Once this leak is repaired, Maynilad estimates to recover around 20 to 30 million liters per day of lost water, which could thereafter be put back into the system to help boost water pressure in adjacent areas and effectively increase available supply for distribution to customers.
While the service interruption is in place, Maynilad said they would also take the opportunity to conduct parallel activities—including leak repairs and pipe inspections in other areas, and maintenance works at the Villamor and Espiritu Pumping Stations—which would otherwise require the implementation of separate service disruptions.
To mitigate the impact of the pipe repair activity, Maynilad is installing seven stationary water tanks and deploy 30 mobile water tankers to serve affected areas, particularly those that will experience 57 hours straight of interrupted supply. It will also tap the assistance of local government units and local fire bureaus to expand the available fleet of water tankers that can help deliver water to affected communities.
The complete list of affected areas and their corresponding water interruption schedules may be viewed in Maynilad’s web site (https://www.mayniladwater.com.ph/) and social media accounts, Facebook (www.facebook.com/MayniladWater) and Twitter (@maynilad). Maynilad is also publishing a copy of the interruption schedules in select newspapers and tabloids, posting announcements in barangay/community chat groups, and disseminating SMS and email advisories to customers enrolled in Maynilad Alerts.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes