Water Resilience at Scale: SM’s Conservation Efforts in a Changing Climate
SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) has advanced resource stewardship through water circularity initiatives, implementing water conservation measures across its nationwide network of SM Supermalls since the late 1990s.
Embedded in its operations, SM Malls uses innovative water management systems that save water and reduce wastage – drawing less from the national water grid and creating value in an increasingly volatile time.
Macro to Micro: SM’s approach to water conservation
Against the looming possibility of an extended drought caused by El Niño, saving every drop of water finds greater importance for SM Supermalls. Designed with sustainability in mind, SM Malls use innovative water management systems that not only promote saving water from wastage but also significantly reduce consumption. This helps lessen the use of freshwater resources from national water systems and leaves more water for its surrounding communities to use.
SM ensures sustainable water use through advanced recycling and rainwater harvesting systems. In 2025, sewage treatment plants in its 89 malls recycle an estimated 6.6 million cubic meters of property wastewater for non-potable use. The rainwater treatment facility in SM Baguio innovatively harvests and treats rainwater collected during the wet season and transforms it into water for kitchen and tenant use.
As a key customer touchpoint in water management, faucets also regulate the outflow of water for every use. SM’s investments in “push delay” faucets create sustainable operations to strengthen water conservation. These faucets save water by preventing it from being left running by restricting water flow through a certain window of time.
Technology then paved the way for enhanced conservation, and SM started using no-touch, sensor-type faucets in 2015, far before the sanitary restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sensor-type faucets help save water by automatically shutting outflow of water once the sensor does not detect a user. Additionally, these types of faucets typically require less water pressure, which also reduces water waste. Significant investments in systems such as sensor faucets also reduce wear and tear on fixtures and equipment, resulting in long-term savings and improved water conservation.
With its implementation, SM saw a 59% reduction in water waste, translating to saving the equivalent of a 1.5-liter bottle of water per user using the faucet over just 7 seconds.
By equipping its most-loved malls with water-efficient fixtures enhanced with technology, SM is protecting resources critical not just to its operations but to its surrounding communities. Under the guidance of the Water for Tomorrow pillar of the SM Green Movement, SM champions sustainable water use, reducing environmental impact, and securing access to water for generations to come. #
