Customers of Maynilad Water Services in Muntinlupa will get rebates in their bills after the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO) found the company liable for prolonged water service interruptions (WSI).
In a statement, MWSS-RO Chief Regulator Patrick Lester Ty said his office will impose a financial penalty on Maynilad for the water service interruptions that happened from December 2021 to February 2022 due “to the failure of its Putatan Water Treatment Plants (PWTP).”
Maynilad has two water treatment plants in Barangay Putatan, Muntinlupa, which draw raw water from the Laguna Lake and uses it to supply thousands of customers in Muntinlupa and other areas.
“Based on the evidence gathered from its investigation, the MWSS RO concluded that Maynilad failed to meet its Service Obligation of ensuring the availability of an uninterrupted 24 hour supply of water at seven (7) pounds per square inch (psi) minimum pressure to all connected Customers in its Service Area. Customers within the PWTP Supply Zone were found to have been deprived of water service obligation for at least fifteen (15 days), which adversely impacted their health and welfare,” said Ty.
The water service interruptions left thousands of Maynilad customers in Muntinlupa without water for up to 18 hours a day. In some areas, there was no water service for days.
Customers complained that the water coming out of their faucets was brownish in color, making it unusable for drinking or cooking.
According to Ty, MWSS-RO will “implement the financial penalty in the form of bill rebates to affected Maynilad customers within the PWTP's Supply Zone by April. It is already in the process of identifying all accounts that will be covered by the Rebate Program, the rebate amount for each account, and the policies and procedures for carrying out the Program, in coordination with Maynilad.”
“It targets to conduct a Public Information Drive (PIDr) to clarify the bill rebates and inform affected customers of the nature, scope, and other details of the Rebate Program in March. Updates will be posted on the MWSS RO's official Facebook page (@MWSS.RO) Twitter account (@mwssro) and website (ro.mwss.gov.ph),” he said.
The Muntinlupa City Council’s Committee on Environment conducted a public hearing last Feb. 8 on the water service interruptions in Muntinlupa with representatives from Maynilad and MWSS-RO
Councilor Raul Corro, majority floor leader of the City Council, commended MWSS-RO for its decision to impose a penalty on Maynilad.
“The penalty imposed against Maynilad by MWSS RO was the subject of a public hearing conducted by the Sanggunian Panglungsod of Muntinlupa. In the public hearing and in the presence of MWSS RO officials, I formally asked the regulatory body to impose the proper penalties and bill rebates to thousands of households due to its inability to comply with its contractual obligations under the concession agreement,” he said.
“I commend MWSS-RO for exercising its mandate and showing concern to thousands of suffering Maynilad customers whose plea for help triggered the conduct of the public hearing,” Corro said.
“But imposing the penalties and bill rebates are not enough. Maynilad must be able to deliver 24-hour uninterrupted supply of water per its commitment under the concession agreement and that aside from the quantity, it must also deliver quality water that is safe and healthy for human consumption and for other daily household use,” the councilor added.
Ty said MWSS-RO issued a Notice to Explain to Maynilad last Feb. 11 “for its non-adherence to the WSI schedules announced through its public advisories on the planned WSIs caused by water quality problems at the PWTP.”
“This observed non-adherence was evidenced by the complaints escalated by Maynilad customers to the MWSS RO, the consistent complaints monitored by the MWSS RO on social media, and the results of the random verification conducted by the MWSS RO on the adherence/non-adherence of Maynilad to its public advisories,” he said.
The MWSS-RO has ordered “Maynilad to observe strict adherence to the details of its announced WSI schedules and to fast track the implementation of its proposed solutions for the immediate resumption of uninterrupted services to all its customers. The welfare of the consumers should remain the paramount priority, especially during this time when water is most essential for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.”