Miya, Arison Investments’global leader in urban water efficiency solutions, established by Shari Arison in 2008, has partnered with Maynilad, the private water utility serving western Manila, to deliver clean water to as many city residents as possible, in a sustainable way that is both environmentally beneficial and cost-effective.

Maynilad is the water and wastewater services provider for the western zone of Manila, serving some 9 million people. In 2008, 67% of the water put into their delivery system was lost (non-revenue water; NRW), mostly due to leakage. One third of residents in western Manila lacked a connection to the municipal system and well over a million suffered from intermittent supply or low system pressure.Understanding that a comprehensive water efficiency program, combined with world renowned expertise, is needed to solve the problem, Miya and Maynilad signed a performance-based partnership contract in 2009 aimed at significantly reducing NRW, improving water service to residents and enhancing the utility’s relationship with the community. The project earned the IWA Award for Project Innovation in the drinking water supply category.

Arison Investments Chairman and CEO Efrat Peled says: “Miya was officially inaugurated at the 2008 IWA conference in Vienna, and receiving this prestigious IWA Award in 2013 signifies the industry’s recognition of Miya’s achievements worldwide, based on its comprehensive approach to efficient management of our world’s existing fresh water abundance.”Miya is known for its proven success in water efficiency projects around the world, employing an international team of experts, applying strategies such as leak detection, pressure management, meter management and more. As David Arison, Miya’s Vice President of Global Business Relations says: “Miya's projects prove beneficial for both the community and the environment, while drastically improving the financial situation of the water utility. Customer service levels are enhanced, local jobs are created, community awareness to water efficiency rises and energy consumption is reduced.”

To date, the project has been a great success: NRW was reduced from 67% to 38%, saving about 800 million liters per day of water, an additional 2.6 million people now receive a consistent flow of fresh water from the municipal system and water is supplied 24/7. The work is on-going, with 450 trained Filipino engineers. Due to fewer leaks and improved services, Maynilad’s income has increased to three times that of 2008. The utility is now fiscally stable, thus enabling it to expand its budget and system coverage. The Miya-Maynilad NRW reduction partnership has led to a significantly better water delivery system in one of the largest urban areas in Southeast Asia. The partnership has raised awareness to the importance of preserving the abundant supply of clean, fresh water, and maintaining an efficient water delivery system without wasting this precious resource to leaks.

The Maynilad team has been empowered with a set of skills and the ability to perpetuate the achievements of this ambitious water efficiency project.
This project also serves as a stellar example for the entire region on how an effective NRW reduction program can be so effective that it essentially pays for itself. Just as in Maynilad, water utilities can provide customers with clean water, uninterrupted and all day, without producing more water, a major capital investment. With a forward thinking, innovative project such as the Miya-Maynilad partnership, a smart investment in an environmentally conscious project leads to sustainable change that mutually benefits the utility and the consumers it supplies.