SM Prime promotes sustainability with the Water for Tomorrow Campaign

Headquarters to some of the largest Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) brand names, the Three E-com Center at the Mall of Asia Complex efficiently operates its sewage treatment plant to collect, treat, and remove contaminants from wastewater, making it safe to discharge to the surrounding environment.

One of today's most serious concerns is access to clean and safe drinking water, as rising urbanization and population expansion put a strain on freshwater supplies.  The United Nations (UN) Water program highlights the need of effective water management for society and the environment.

SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), Southeast Asia's leading integrated property developer, has prioritized water conservation and management since the early 1990s, long before the relationship between water stress and climate change was generally acknowledged.

Through Water for Tomorrow, SM Prime's water stewardship effort, the company actively incorporates climate resilience into its developments, assuring responsible resource management while also benefiting the communities it serves.

Sustainable water management

Water saving and efficient management techniques are integrated into SM Prime's building operations.  The corporation makes significant investments in sustainable water management technologies to reduce freshwater use and municipal water supply demand.  It has discovered sensible water usage and innovative solutions to address the growing concern about water security. 

In 2023, SM Prime recorded a total water use of 7.2 million cubic meters, with 61% of that water recycled. 

On average, mall operations consume more than 1 billion gallons of reclaimed water.  SM Supermalls cleans and disinfects with reclaimed water, cares for plants and landscaping, and cools its air conditioning towers.   Efficient plumbing and sophisticated water-saving technologies, including low-flow fixtures, help to regulate the mall's water consumption. 

These procedures have been implemented across the group.  The SM Offices' E-Com Centers at the Mall of Asia Complex have sewage treatment units that recycle greywater.  In addition to rainwater collecting technologies that help maintain its urban gardens, SM Development Corporation (SMDC)'s Sea and Shore Residences provide discharged treated water to the greening of the Estates in the MOA Complex. 

As part of its water conservation initiative at Pico Sands Hotel, SM Hotels and Convention Corporation lowered freshwater usage by 36%, resulting in 52% water reuse and 41% at Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club. Since 2010, SM Prime's water desalination plant in Nasugbu, Batangas, has had a substantial impact on water management and sustainable eco-tourism, guaranteeing that it serves all Hamilo developments. 

Protecting water resources 

SM Prime supports this year’s UN-Water World Water Day 2025 on March 22, which focuses on the theme “Glacier Preservation.” 

Glaciers play an important part in the global water cycle half a world away. Glacial ice is the world's greatest freshwater reservoir, accounting for around 69% of the total.  With increasing glacial melting, changed rainfall patterns, droughts, and rising sea levels, the earth faces a water catastrophe affecting the most vulnerable.

Recognizing these problems and the requirement for a consistent water supply, SM Prime continues to include water-saving measures into its property developments. This raises public awareness and promotes responsible water use among mall visitors, tenants, employees, and communities.  To help lessen reliance on freshwater sources, SM Supermalls opened the SM City Baguio rainwater treatment facility (RTF) in 2023. It has converted 17,000 cubic meters of rainfall into potable water and continues to run and serve the surrounding neighborhood. 

“As businesses face growing water challenges, we must take action to secure our Water for Tomorrow. Water stewardship is an investment in our future. We must move beyond conservation and prioritize resource protection, waste reduction and water security for future generations.” ~Hans T. Sy, SM Prime Executive Committee Chairman

SM Prime’s Water for Tomorrow program plays a key role in SM Prime’s sustainability strategy, along with Net Zero by 2040 and a Waste-Free Future.