Maynilad Water Services Inc. was fined P9.26 million by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO) for water service interruptions from May to July this year in Muntinlupa and other service areas.
In a statement, MWSS-RO chief regulator Patrick Lester Ty said, “Based on the evidence gathered by the MWSS RO in its investigation into the prevailing water supply conditions in the West Zone, Maynilad Water Services, Inc. was found to have breached its service obligation of ensuring the availability of an uninterrupted twenty-four (24) hour supply of water at seven (7) pounds per square inch (psi) minimum pressure for more than 15 days to connected customers in parts of Las Piñas City, Muntinlupa City, Parañaque City, and Cavite Province (Bacoor, Imus, Cavite, Noveleta, and Rosario).”
Based on its findings, the MWSS-RO passed a resolution “to impose a financial penalty on Maynilad in the amount of nine million two hundred sixty-four thousand three hundred fifty-eight pesos (PHP 9,264,358) for the continued water service interruptions within the Putatan Water Treatment Plant (PWTP) supply zone.”
The Putatan Water Treatment Plant is located in Barangay Putatan, Muntinlupa.
MWSS-RO said the penalty on Maynilad will be carried out through bill rebates that will be given to the water company’s affected customers by November.
“The nature, scope, and other details of the Rebate Program will further be discussed in October, during a Public Information Drive (PIDr) that will be conducted by the MWSS RO, in cooperation with Maynilad,” Ty said.
He added that “the MWSS RO has directed Maynilad to fast-track the implementation of its proposed mitigating measures to address the deteriorating raw water quality in Laguna Lake, and ensure the continuity of water supply within its Service Area.”
Last February, the MWSS-RO imposed a penalty of P63.97 million on Maynilad for implementing water service interruptions in the supply zone of the Putatan Water Treatment Plant from December 2021 to February 2022.
As a result, 198,315 Maynilad customers being serviced by the water treatment plant got a rebate of P323 each that was deducted from their monthly bills.