UTILITY firm Maynilad Water Services Inc. is all set to implement its wastewater treatment projects until 2015 after it has secured a $137.5-million loan from the World Bank.

Maynilad, the water concessionaire for the west zone of the Greater Manila Area, plans to use the said loan to partially fund some of its wastewater treatment projects scheduled to be begin this year.

Tony Garcia, Maynilad of sewerage and sanitation, said in a statement that the loan package will help accelerate the construction of sewerage and sanitation infrastructure, which will in turn help improve the environmental, sanitation and health conditions in Maynilad’s concession area.

Maynilad plans to build 13 sewage treatment plants (STPs) until 2015, but only four of the 13 will be funded by the loan secured from the World Bank.  These include the Talayan STP in the San Juan River Basin Project and STPs on Valenzuela, Pasay and Muntinlupa. Other projects that would benefit from the loan include the rehabilitation of the Alabang STP and the South septage treatment plant.

The four projects, to be funded by the loan from World Bank will have a total capacity of 187,500 cubic meters per day and will serve about 300,000 households in Quezon City, Pasay, Valenzuela and Muntinlupa. 

The $137.5-million budget is part of the $275-million World Bank loan that will be divided between the two concessionaires of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System. A sovereign guarantee, which the Philippine government has already issued, is required for the loan to be processed.

“We are accelerating the construction of our STPs for the benefit of the environment and our customers,” Maynilad president and CEO Ricky Vargas said.

He lauded the government’s move as “a testament on how vital Public-Private Partnerships are on the growth of the nation’s economy.”

Maynilad’s water concession covers Manila (all but portions of San Andres & Sta Ana), Quezon City (west of San Juan River, West Avenue, Edsa, Congressional, Mindanao Avenue, the northern part starting from the districts of the Holy Spirit and Batasan Hills), Makat, Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Pinas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon all in Metro Manila; Cavite City, and the towns of Bacoor, Imus, Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province.