SM Offices, the commercial leasing arm of SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SM Prime), strengthened its water-efficiency programs in 2025, saving more than 185,000 cubic meters of water across its developments through expanded recycled-water systems and conservation initiatives.
Last year, SM Offices utilized 57,190 cubic meters of recycled water from its stand-alone office developments and 128,700 cubic meters from its mall-integrated offices. At 185,890, the combined volume is enough to supply water to 775 average urban households for a year.
A significant portion of SM Offices’ water savings comes from recycled water generated through on-site sewage treatment plants. The treated water is reused for restroom flushing, landscape irrigation and certain cooling systems across its developments.
“Water efficiency is becoming increasingly important in modern office developments as more companies prioritize sustainability in their workplace strategies,” said Alexis Ortiga, Vice President and Head of SM Offices. “Using water responsibly helps reduce environmental impact, lower operating costs, and ensure our buildings remain resilient as water resources become more constrained.”
Recycled water also supports the maintenance of landscaped areas surrounding SM Offices developments, including open spaces across the SM Mall of Asia Complex and Central Business Park 1-A district in Pasay City_.
Beyond water recycling, SM Offices implements several operational measures to further reduce consumption. These include installing low-flow and sensor-based plumbing fixtures, conducting regular inspections to detect leaks early, and optimizing irrigation schedules to minimize evaporation. In selected buildings, treated water is also used in cooling towers to support air-conditioning systems, further reducing the need for fresh water in daily operations.
These initiatives form part of SM Offices’ broader sustainability strategy to reduce demand on municipal water systems while providing greener workplaces for tenants.
SM Offices also encourages tenants to participate in conservation efforts through building guidelines that promote responsible water use, including the installation of efficient plumbing fixtures within tenant spaces. Consumption data, conservation reminders, and best practices are regularly shared with building occupants to strengthen awareness and participation.
“We are also exploring additional technologies to further reduce water consumption across our buildings,” said Ortiga. These efforts include smart water systems that monitors usage in real time and enable early leak detection to reduce water waste.
“Through these initiatives, we can support our tenants as they grow their operations while using water more responsibly and reducing pressure on local resources,” he added.
1 Comment
Great initiative by SM Offices—saving over 185,000 cubic meters of water shows how impactful recycled-water systems can be when applied at scale. The mix of smart monitoring, low-flow fixtures, and reuse in cooling systems is a practical approach to sustainability. Efforts like this also highlight how responsible resource management should be part of every industry, similar to how efficiency and optimization are valued in platforms like 388win.